No fate
by jenna51980
Summary: COMPLETED AU: Picks up from where Season 6 ended. Some spoilers for season 7. As the fate of his family as well as the world continues to rest on his shoulders, Chris continues his journey to fulfill his destiny as the son of a Charmed One.
1. Chapter 1

Author's notes: Okay, while I'm waiting for Season 7, this story has been lurking in my head for weeks now, until I thought I would scream. I'm hoping to exorcise it from my system by writing it down, and then I can go back to happily reading spoilers, other people's fics and waiting for the season to start. (That is, if big Chris is part of it.)

On with the story!

Chapter 1:

Chris opened his eyes, still clutching his side where Gideon's blade had cut deep. The last thing he remembered was Leo telling him to hold on, to not give up. The pain, excruciating at first, was now gone, and as he glanced down at himself, he noticed there was no hole in his side. Raising his head, he looked around, hoping to ascertain where he was. No longer was he at the manor, but at the club, in the back room, where he had been staying, since coming to the past, lying on the couch. Everything looked exactly like how he had left it. The mirror on the back wall, the blankets folded on the couch. Chris crossed the room, stopping at his desk, running his hand along it. Something was wrong, but what?

'It's too quiet.' Chris thought. Making his way slowly to the door of the back room, he opened it, and looked out into the main area. The club was empty, quiet. The very stillness of the room seemed to permeate through the air. And as Chris looked around, he felt the panic start to set in, as he began to clue in to what was happening, what he was feeling. He concentrated on orbing, and when nothing happened, he ran to the front door of the club, throwing it open and running into the street. As he scanned up and down the street for signs of life, he closed his eyes, acknowledging the lack of activity, the dead silence and the overwhelming loneliness he felt deep in his gut. He had been here before. He was in the ghostly plane.

"Chris," a voice said.

Slowly, Chris turned around to face the direction of where the voice came. "Let me guess, you came to 'make it easier' for me." Chris said, bitterly.

Clarence smiled at him. "Like I said before, yours is a unique situation. One that requires special handling. Right now, we're still trying to decide what to do with you.

You died outside of your timeline, and we're not quite sure where to take you next."

Chris stepped back, away from Clarence, "What does that mean? Am I stuck here? I thought, I don't know, that I would either just disappear or some sort of afterlife?"

Clarence shook his head, "That is exactly what decision needs to be made. There's some arguing going on, but I wanted to let you know that you won't be stuck here indefinitely."

"So that's it? Don't I get a say in anything? Or at least, can't I participate in my own fate?" Chris asked, softly. "I guess anything is better than being stuck here forever."

"I'm not sure, " Clarence hesitated, "the thing is, yours is not the only situation causing a lot of discussion right now, up there. Your father is causing some major arguments as well."

"What??!? Dad is dead too?" Chris was horrified; he had come back to the past to save his family, and he had screwed it up by getting his father killed?

"No! No, it's just...well, your father killed Gideon and is still after Barbas, and I guess they're trying to decide what to do about Leo." Clarence hastily explained. "Some of the

Elders want to punish Leo, to set an example..."

"What? They want to punish him for killing the bad guys and saving the future?" Chris said, sarcastically. "Boy, I'd hate to see what kind of rewards you get for committing evil. Are you sure this is the ghostly plane and not the evil parallel world dimension?"

"Look Chris, you and I don't have anything to do with that. I shouldn't have even told you about Leo. I just wanted to let you know why you're going to have to hang out here in limbo for a bit longer." Clarence replied. "We haven't forgotten about you."

"No way. I have everything to do with this. Leo would never have killed Gideon if I hadn't come back to the past. I have a right to be in on this. I want you to take me to them." Chris shook his head as Clarence opened his mouth to disagree. "Either you take me to them, or I'll find my own way there."

Closing his mouth, Clarence nodded, agreeing reluctantly, "Chris, I know you don't think so, but I am in your corner."

Chris nodded his thanks, and closing his eyes, he let Clarence take him to the Elders.

* * *

'Great, late again...' Phoebe murmured to herself, rushing through the bustling bullpen to duck into her office before Elise spotted her. Glancing at her watch, Phoebe sighed again, and reached towards her 'in tray' for a letter.

"Phoebe," Elise stuck her head into Phoebe's office, "we need to talk."

"Elise!" startled, Phoebe's head jerked up, "Oh, you startled me! Maybe we could talk, ummmm, a little later? Lots of work to do, you know, chop, chop and all that." Phoebe laughed, weakly.

Ignoring Phoebe's comment, Elise sat down in the chair across from Phoebe. "Look, Phoebe. You know I think you're one of the best columnists we have right?"

"Oh, yes. I mean, no! But that's really, really great to hear..." Phoebe replied, a sinking feeling in her stomach. "Look Elise, I know what you're going to say. I know I've been late a lot lately, but my sister just had another baby, and she's pretty much a single parent and we're still trying to get into, you know, a routine. And I know my last couple of columns almost haven't made the deadline, but..." Phoebe broke off, rubbing her face.

"Phoebe. I'm worried about you. This is no good. I want you to take some vacation days. Clear your head, help your sister." Elise stated.

"I don't need a vacation!"

"I've noticed you've been really distracted lately, but I had no idea things were so, I don't know...hectic, for you. You gave the same advice in today's column that you did a year ago to someone else. This is not the Phoebe that I know." Elise shook her head.

"Are you firing me?" Phoebe asked, dolefully.

"I'm not firing you! I'm worried about you! You just told me about your sister and the new baby, and it's obvious to me that family is important to you. Look, I've thought about this a lot. I think we'll hire a ghostwriter to help you with your column. You can take a couple of days off, and review their work from home. In fact, I'll take care of everything and let you know. Why don't you go home, and I'll give you a call once I set everything up, okay?" Elise nodded, and headed towards the office door, as the phone on Phoebe's desk began to ring.

"No, wait..." Phoebe pleaded, but Elise was gone. "Hello? Paige? What is it now? Am I busy? Don't ask..."

* * *

"Okay, okay, I've got you big guy...geez, no wonder we don't get along in the future..." Paige mumbled, as she changed baby Chris' diaper, no easy feat, as he wriggled on the change table, his little legs kicking in the air. "I swear, if you could, you'd be rolling your eyes at me, right now. Let's go see if your mommy has your bottle ready." Finished with her task, Paige hoisted the baby over her shoulder and orbed to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Piper warmed up a bottle for the baby, while helping Wyatt with his breakfast. "That's my boy, finish all your veggies please. Yum, yum." At the sounds of orbing, Piper turned around to see Paige with baby Chris. "Hel-lo! Personal gain? Why didn't you just walk down like a normal human being?"

Paige rolled her eyes, and handed the baby over to Piper, "Yeah, well, your son is hungry. Besides, orbing is my whitelighter side, and not my witch side, right?"

"Paige..." Piper said, warningly.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Look it's a beautiful day out. Why don't you and I take the kids to the park after they're done eating? I'm sure Wyatt would love to play on the swings." Paige smiled at her other nephew, who waved his arms enthusiastically at his aunt.

"No, Chris isn't old enough yet," Piper dismissed Paige's suggestion and brought the bottle to baby Chris' mouth "Come on baby, here's your bottle, that's it...".

"Piper, he's two months old! Don't kids need fresh air or something?" Paige leaned against the counter, watching Piper feed the baby. "We don't want to stunt his growth, after all."

"I know how old he is Paige! I'm his mother, not you! And if I don't think it's safe to take them out of the house yet, then I think I know best." Piper exclaimed, her tone biting.

Throwing her hands up in defense, Paige replied gently, "I'm sorry. I get it, I really do. I know you just want to protect the kids. I do too. We all do. It's just...you've been cooped up here in the house since..." Paige's voice trailed off, as she watched her sister turn away, holding baby Chris tightly. "Piper, you know, you haven't talked to anyone about...you know. I mean, you can talk about it with me or Phoebe. We loved him too."

Piper's shoulders stiffened as she responded coldly, "There's nothing to talk about. Gideon's dead, Wyatt and Chris are both safe and everything is okay." Seeing Paige's hurt expression, Piper sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. I know you're trying...I just...I think I need to lie down. Think you can hold the fort down for a bit?"

"Of course. Are you sure you don't want to call Leo?" Paige asked, worriedly.

"No, I think...I just need...to be alone for a moment." Piper replied, passing baby Chris over to her sister and headed towards the stairs. "I'll be upstairs if you need me, okay?"

"Sure." Paige nodded, "Looks like it's just you and me, partners." Paige smiled at her two nephews. "Although I'm still worried about your mommy. Maybe..." and reached for the phone.

* * *

"I thought the Tribunal was strictly about monitoring magic to make sure people don't find out about it." Chris leaned over, whispering into Clarence's ear. Chris and Clarence had orbed in during closing arguments, and watched the proceedings, eerily similar to that of the girls when magic was considered exposed. Again, there had been opposing tables, and again, two opposing 'counselors'. A whitelighter had argued vehemently on Leo's behalf and a demon had argued just as strongly against him. Chris recognized neither of them, although he had been sorely tempted to pound the hell out of the demon. Only the threat of being banished from the proceedings had kept his temper in check. "And where is Leo? Shouldn't he be here?"

Clarence shrugged. "I'm not sure what's going on...this isn't a typical hearing about exposing magic. They're trying to decide whether Leo went too far...that he recklessly endangered the balance between good and evil."

Before Chris could question Clarence any further, the Tribunal suddenly reappeared.

"We have made our decision. We have ruled against the Elder. He must be held accountable for his actions, and we support the punishment as brought forth."

"What?!? You can't!" Chris yelled. He scowled at the demon that had argued against Leo, whose mouth was pulled back in an evil grin. He directed his attention back to the Tribunal, "You have no right!"

"Quiet!" One of the floating Elder heads glared at Chris and Clarence. Chris recognized him as Adair, from the time the girls were on trial. "If you wish to continue to observe, you will remain silent."

"Chris...kid, this isn't your fight." Clarence gently placed his hand on Chris' shoulder to restrain him. "We still have to decide YOUR fate."

The other floating Elder head looked down in sympathy at Chris. "The decision has been made for you as well. You have done much good here, and we agree that you should be rewarded."

"Yeah, well you can just take your reward and sti—"

"Chris," Clarence interrupted, before Chris said something he regretted.

The Elder continued, ignoring Chris' mutterings, "You will have a choice. You can choose to go back to the future, in the new timeline and you will only have your new memories or, you can 'die' outside your timeline and enjoy the afterlife."

Chris' head swirled. Go back and have everything that made him, HIM, erased? Or 'die' and enjoy the _afterlife_? Neither choice appealed to him, and he looked helplessly at Clarence.

"This is a big decision," Clarence read Chris' expression correctly. "Could you give us a couple of minutes?"

The floating heads glanced at each other, and then one-by-one, faded out to give Chris and Clarence some privacy. The whitelighter and demon counselors had long since disappeared.

Adair, the last floating head to fade out, paused, "We will give you 10 minutes. Then we must have your decision as we must then bring the Charmed ones and the Elder here to hear the Tribunal's ruling on Leo."

And with that, they were gone.

"10 minutes to decide my fate? 10 minutes to decide the rest of my life or non-life? Geez, no pressure." Chris turned towards Clarence. "What would you choose?"

"I know neither choice seems like a reward, Chris. But think about it. If you were in the beautiful future you created, would you want to know what you know now? Could you enjoy yourself fully, without looking over your shoulder, without looking at suspicion at your brother?" Chris looked away, unable to meet Clarence's gaze. "And what about your great-grandma, your grandma and aunt Prue? They are all very happy in the afterlife." Clarence told him gently. "Chris, these are both very generous options, and if you really stop and think about them, I know you'll think so too."

"And Leo? What happens to my dad? Did you hear the punishment that the demon wanted? How is that fair to Wyatt and baby me? He won't be there for either of us in this so-called beautiful future, instead of just me! How do you know that doesn't screw up the future even more?" Chris paced back and forth.

"Chris, you can't fix this. All you can do is make the best of things. The Elders, heck, the Tribunal, have been extremely generous. They're giving you a choice to decide your own fate. Not many beings get that privilege. This decision, this choice, it's a reward for all your hard work." Clarence counseled, watching the young man gaze up at nothing. Several minutes passed, before Chris slowly let out his breath.

"Call them back," Chris sighed. "I've made my decision."

The four floating heads reappeared, and Adair looked down at Chris, "And what is your choice?"

"First, I have a question. This is a choice about my fate. It's my reward, right?" Chris questioned. At Adair's nod, Chris continued, "So technically, I should be able to choose a different option, one that you didn't offer me..." Chris held up his hand to stall the Elder, as Adair began to stutter, "As long as it's acceptable to all of you, of course."

Raising his eyebrows in question at the Tribunal, he watched as the four heads glanced at each other and then back at him. "This is most unorthodox," Adair intoned, "But we agree to your terms. You may present us with a different option, and as long as we agree, we will grant you your reward."

"Chris, what are you doing?" Clarence asked, concern clearly in his face.

Chris closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them. "Then I choose to take Leo's place. To accept the punishment on his behalf." Sensing the immediate rejection of his suggestion, Chris pushed on further, before he could lose his nerve. "You said you wanted to make an example of him. To show everyone that you can't try to tip the balance between good and evil for your own reasons. Do you really need to make an example out of him specifically? What's the difference if I'm the one you make an example of? The message is still the same. You said you were giving me a chance to decide my fate as my reward. Well, I'm holding you to it."

Again, the floating heads glanced at each other. Adair looked down at the young witch-whitelighter, respect tinged with sadness in his voice, "Very well. So you have chosen. So mote it be!"

And with that, Chris and the floating heads disappeared, leaving Clarence standing alone.

"You're a good kid, Chris. You're a good kid." Clarence sighed, and flashed out as well.

* * *

"Hello! Anyone home?" Phoebe called, as she entered the kitchen. "Paige? Piper?"

"Hey Phoebe," Paige responded, baby Chris in one arm, and Wyatt in the other, as she orbed into the kitchen. "Thank goodness you're home. Here, one for you, and one for me." Paige handed Wyatt over to Phoebe.

"Whoa! What's going on? Where's Piper?" Phoebe asked, as she instinctively dropped her bag to gain a better hold on her squirming little nephew. "And how are we doing, cutie pie? Hmmm, how are you, sweetie?"

Paige rolled her eyes, "First, if you keep talking baby talk with him, he's going to pick that up! Second, nothing is going on, at least not demon wise but definitely Piper-wise and third, Piper's upstairs, she said she wanted to go lie down."

"What do you mean Piper wise?" Phoebe asked, as she sat down at the kitchen table with Wyatt on her lap.

"I mean, I tried to suggest that she should, you know, leave the house, take the kids for a walk and she completely freaked. I tried talking to her, about, you know...and that's when she said she had to go lie down." Paige sighed, sinking into the chair next to Phoebe, with baby Chris still cradled in her arms.

"Paige, you can't force Piper to talk to you. She'll come to us when she's ready. I'm not sure _I'm_ ready. I mean, we can't even say it to ourselves, how are we going to talk about it with Piper? I mean it really sucks. We were just starting to get to know him." Phoebe said, sadly.

"I know. I guess I'm having a hard time accepting that he's gone too. But, then I look at him, and I know he isn't gone, not really." Paige looked down at baby Chris, sleeping peacefully in her arms. "Anyways, I'm sorry I called you at work...it's just that I was worried about Piper, and I thought, maybe you should talk to her. I get that she doesn't want to talk about it yet, but she's in complete denial. I just want to get her to leave the house for, like an hour, that's all, I swear!" Paige reasoned.

"Alright, I'll go and talk to her." Phoebe placed Wyatt into his high chair. "You stay here and watch our nephews." The phone rang, and Phoebe picked it up, pausing on her way out of the kitchen.

"Hello? Hi Elise. What? You found a ghostwriter already? ...uhhhh, okay, well, now's not a good time to met her...What? Come over here? No, I don't think that's a good idea. It's just...we're uh, getting the house fumigated. Yeah, rats everywhere. Look, Elise, just tell her to sit tight and I'll get there as soon as I can, okay?" Frustrated, Phoebe hanged up the phone, banging her head against the wall.

"Hey, is everything okay? What was that all about?" Paige asked, slightly amused, as she watched her sister bang her head against the wall.

"Elise wants to hire a ghost writer for my column, so that I can take some vacation days and spend it at home. She was going to send her here, to start right away." Phoebe pinched the bridge of her nose. "I think I'm going to need some Tylenol."

"What? A ghostwriter? Huh, interesting..." Paige muttered.

"Interesting? No, not interesting! Next thing you know, first it's a ghost writer, then it's vacation, then it's leave, and then no column!" Phoebe exclaimed, anxiously. "Okay, one crisis at a time. First, I'll go talk to Piper, then I'll go talk to Elise and then I'll deal with that ghost writer!"

"Okey, dokey." Paige grinned at her sister's back, as Phoebe exited the room. Turning to Wyatt, who was innocently staring at her, "How about you and me go play with your blocks, hmmmm?"

* * *

"Hear these words, hear my cry,

Spirit from the other side.

Come to thee, I summon thee,

Cross now the great divide."

Penny Halliwell materialized into the attic. "Piper, what's going on? How are you feeling, my darling? I thought you were going to speak with Leo, talk to him."

Piper looked at her grandmother. Unbeknownst to her sisters and Leo, Piper had summoned Grams when she had first learned her son had been murdered, shortly after returning from the hospital. She had managed to gasp out the whole grisly story, before dissolving in tears. She hadn't had to explain a word to Grams about her feelings, because Grams knew exactly what she had been feeling. No parent should ever outlive their child, and both Piper and Grams had done just that. It was during that last talk, that Grams had insisted that Piper talk with Leo, so that they could both grieve and work through the pain of losing their child together. But one look into Piper's eyes, and Grams knew that Piper had still not spoken to him.

"Grams, don't take this the wrong way...but I was actually trying to contact Chris." Piper cast her eyes down, unable to meet her Grams' steady gaze. "I know what you're going to say, just like you said with Prue, that it's too soon, and I get that, I really do, but Grams," Piper raised her head, her eyes pleading with her grandmother to understand, "at least tell me he's okay, that you've seen him, that he's alright."

Grams shook her head. "Piper, it's not that I don't want to tell you. It's just that I can't. I haven't seen Chris in the afterlife. He's not here with us."

"What? What do you mean? Where is he? He died Grams! Are you telling me he just ceases to exist? Like he was never here?!? Like he doesn't matter??!!" Piper's voice began to rise hysterically.

"No! No! It's just...I can't sense him, if he IS here. And I could with Patty and Prue. We've been looking for him, Piper, I promise you. But we're pretty sure he isn't here." Grams told her sadly. "Patty thinks, well, we think that, maybe because Chris died outside his timeline that, well, time travel is so complicated..."

Distraught, Piper sank to the floor, sobbing, "It can't be, it can't be...all this time, I thought that at least, he's at peace, he's..."

"Piper? Grams? What's going on?" Phoebe quickly crossed over to her sister, sinking to her knees, cradling her sister in her arms. "Grams? What happened? What did you say? Paige...I think you should come up here."

"Phoebe, what is it? I don't want to leave the kids alone too long..." Paige responded to Phoebe's call, as she orbed into the attic, taking in the scene. "Piper! What's wrong? What's going on?"

"Chris isn't in the afterlife. Grams said he isn't there. Where is he Phoebe? Where is he?" Piper demanded. Phoebe glanced helplessly at Paige, who shook her head slightly. Neither sister could offer the comfort that Piper needed.

"I'm sorry Piper. If I knew where he was, what happened to him, I would tell you." Grams replied, softly.

"Noooo, you wouldn't." Phoebe turned her head slowly towards her grandmother, disbelief in Phoebe's face as she _felt_ something.

"Phoebe, what are you talking about?" Paige asked, shooting her sister a dirty look.

"I'm talking about I think I just got my empathic ability back, and Grams is hiding something from us!" Phoebe quickly rose from her position. "Grams, what are you hiding? Spill! Now!"

"Phoebe, if I am hiding something from you, there's a good reason for it." Grams looked at her granddaughter, her steely eyes giving away nothing.

"No! I want to know! I need to know! If it's about Chris, Grams, please, you CAN'T do this to me. Grams, please, put yourself in my shoes. If it was mom, would you want to know?" Piper glanced up from her position on the floor, her face tear stained, eyes full of pain. "Grams, if anyone in this room understands even a little bit of what I'm going through, it's you. Grams, please, I'm begging you, if you know where Chris is, what's happened to him, you've got to tell me."

Grams sighed, and looked away from Piper, before returning her gaze to her three granddaughters. "Piper, Chris is in hell."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you all for the reviews! I'm glad that there are people out there who find my ramblings interesting enough to read. Mild spoilers for season 7, based on some of the spoilers currently posted. Thoughts and emphasis' are in italics. A shorter chapter, as I think this was the best place to cut it off. Oh, and changed the rating due to some mild language.

Rating: PG

Chapter 2:

"Are you sure Ms. Halliwell is going to be okay with this?" the man asked Elise. The man, in his late twenties, with dark brown hair and a million dollar smile, flashed his white teeth at Elise.

"Of course she is! You heard me on the phone. She's going to come right over as soon as those people are done fumigating her home." Elise flushed, as she told the white lie. Running her hand through her hair, Elise sighed. "Look Leslie, Phoebe might be a little, well, um, abrupt with you later, but don't take it personally, okay? She's just a little bit miffed with me right now, and that may channel onto you."

Leslie's right eyebrow rose.

Elise reached for a bottle of mineral water on Phoebe's desk and poured out two glasses, handing one to Leslie. Seated behind Phoebe's desk, Elise motioned Leslie to sit down. Nodding his thanks, Leslie proceeded to make himself comfortable in the chair across from her, sipping his glass of water.

"At the end of the day, I'm still the boss here, the last time I checked, unless you've heard differently?" Elise said, pausing for effect, her eyebrow arched for effect. "Look Leslie, you know the reason I hired you. I need you to help Phoebe out for a bit, be a team player. If you can't do that..."

"Of course I can. I just don't want to cause her more stress than she's obviously already under. I mean, that's why you called me in, right? To help alleviate her stress? I just want to make sure we're all on the same page. Are you sure she's not going to mind me being her ghostwriter?" Leslie asked, casually. "After all, I've heard she's pretty obsessive over her advice column."

"I'm sure once she meets you, she'll realize what a great addition to our team you are. After all, you came highly recommended from Spencer Ricks." Elise smiled at her new ghostwriter, as she glanced at her watch. "Why don't you get yourself settled in, and we'll meet up after I finish my meeting with the advertisers?"

Leslie nodded his agreement, and moved to the side as Elise came around from the desk and exited Phoebe's office.

As the door shut behind Elise, Leslie walked behind Phoebe's desk and sat down into Phoebe's chair. The desk was hopelessly disorganized; papers and notes with handwriting on them littered the surface of the desk. On the corner of the desk, a silver frame held a picture of three young women, whom Leslie recognized as Phoebe and her two sisters.

Reaching into his shirt pocket, Leslie pulled out a photo of his own and traced the outline of the subjects with his index finger, reminding himself once again why he was here. The picture was obviously a treasured keepsake, creased and faded with age. Gazing down at the picture, with one last sigh, he put the treasured photo back into his pocket and leaned back into the chair. Propping his feet up onto the desk, Leslie poked around the papers on the desk until he found one that looked like a letter. Pulling the tear stained bubble gum pink stationary from the pile, Leslie rolled his eyes, grabbed a pen and notebook and began to make notes.

It was time to earn his keep.

* * *

_No fate. No fate but what we make._ Chris had always loved that movie line. It pretty much summed up everything he believed in. He smiled, humorlessly, to himself. Who knew that the fate he would make for himself would be to choose to live the rest of eternity in Hell? 

It was kind of funny when you thought about it, in a sick to your stomach kind of way.

The Tribunal had whisked him away so quickly, he hadn't had a chance to even say goodbye to anyone. It would have been nice to at least say goodbye to his great grandmother, grandmother and aunt Prue. He briefly regretted not having the chance to thank Clarence for all his help. _Nice of the Elders to be so efficient and all_, Chris thought, sarcastically

Hell wasn't really what he was expecting. Well, he didn't know _exactly_ what he had been expecting, except that he was pretty sure it had to do with lots and lots of pain. He had been half expecting to be burning alive in a pit of fire or lava or something really hot when he had materialized.

Instead, he took in his surroundings, noting that he was in a dark cave, with five tunnels extending from it. He could see reflections of flames along the walls of the tunnels, and he could hear the muted screams and pleas from other poor souls lost somewhere else in the maze of tunnels, kind of like the Underworld, in fact. In other words, not so different from the future where he had come from.

Scary thought.

Standing across from him, Chris realized it was the demon from the Tribunal. Eyeing Chris up and down, the demon muttered, "I didn't expect this. I had a really good eternal punishment for Leo all planned out, but you're a whole other ball game. I can't understand why you would take his place. But then again, I am a demon. Personal sacrifice was never high on my list."

Chris shrugged. He didn't want to think about what was coming. It was something he had learned to do really well in the future, suppressing his emotions. It helped to keep the fear in the pit of the stomach, threatening to crawl right out of his throat until it choked him, under tight control. "I figured it couldn't be any worse than the future where I had come from," Chris joked, half-heartedly.

The demon jerked his head up, his beady eyes staring into Chris' green ones. There was no other way to describe it, but as soon as the words left Chris' mouth, the demon's mouth formed the most evil grin Chris had ever seen in his entire life. _Uh oh. _Chris thought. _Me and my big mouth. This can't be good._

"Than I guess that's exactly where you'll be. Enjoy the rest of eternity." The demon smirked, and before Chris could react, the demon stretched out his hand and a sword materialized, which he plunged through Chris' stomach, pinning Chris to the wall of the cave.

_What?_ was all Chris managed to think, as blackness overtook him.

And then he opened his eyes. He looked down, his hands still clutching his side. Remarkably, given it was the second time he had been stabbed in the gut, no evidence of either attack was apparent. Tentatively probing his side with his hands, he reassured himself that he was whole. He glanced up, wondering where he had been sent now.

And then he realized.

He was back in the future, and it was exactly how he had left it. The city lay in ruins; buildings demolished, the sounds of demons rioting in the street echoed around him, and smoke was rising from fires burning merrily away in the streets.

Huge, black clouds covered the city in darkness, signaling that a fierce storm was not far off. It seemed even the weather had turned evil in the future; Chris hardly remembered a day in the future where the sky had been blue and the sun had been shining once Wyatt had established his dominance. It was just one of the many differences that Chris had appreciated, back in the past.

Chaos, violence and destruction was prevalent everywhere he looked.

Chris sank to his knees, and took in the devastation that was San Francisco.

He had failed to save Wyatt.

He had failed the Resistance, his friends. _Bianca._

He had failed his family.

_Mom, Dad. I'm so sorry._

* * *

Back in the attic at the manor, the three sisters were taking the news about their nephew hard. 

"What do you mean, he's in Hell?" Paige asked, horrified.

Piper looked blankly at her grandmother, not comprehending, still as a statue. Then she began to rock back and forth, "My baby, my baby boy..."

"Piper, YOUR Chris, your baby boy, is here, with you. You need to concentrate on him and Wyatt, especially with Leo hell-bent on revenge, excusing my French." Grams reminded. "Your children need you."

"Yes, my CHILDREN need me..." Piper shook her head furiously, coming out of her shock. "That Chris IS my Chris, my child. As much as this baby is, here and now."

"Uhhhhh....my head hurts. I hate time travel." Phoebe complained, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Okay, Grams is right, and so is Piper."

"It doesn't matter which, or is it whose, or whatever! Chris is in Hell, and all that matters is he shouldn't BE there!" Paige exclaimed, exasperated.

"Paige is right. Grams, you had no right to keep this from me! I can't just pretend that baby Chris is the only one that matters. He's my son! In any timeline!" Piper glared at her grandmother.

"I know dear." Grams sighed, guiltily. "Which is why I didn't want to tell you. I was hoping to spare you the pain of knowing where he was, and not being able to change it. Look, there isn't anything any one of you can do. This isn't a demon or evil creature that you can vanquish. Chris was SENT to Hell."

"Spare me pain? Grams, your great grandson is burning in the fires of hell! I have to get him out of there! Tell me how!" Piper exploded.

"Don't you think I would have told you straight off if there was a way? Don't you think I would have come to you as soon as I heard what had happened, if there was a way to save him? He's my family too, you know! That's why I didn't want you to know in the first place. I hated not being able to do anything to stop this, to help him! I don't think he should be in Hell either, but it's not up to us." Grams retorted, angry.

"Piper, don't worry. We'll get him back." Paige quickly interjected, before a full-scale argument could blow up between her sister and grandmother. Paige directed her glare at her grandmother. "Well, then, who did this? The Elders? We'll just go and knock some sense into them!"

"No Paige, it wasn't the Elders. At least it wasn't the decision of the Elders." Grams sighed again. "It was Chris'."

* * *

Leo materialized in the Underworld, his eyes searching the dark cave for signs of Barbas. He couldn't see him, but he could feel him. 

Leo had channeled his grief into a thirst for vengeance, obsessed with making Barbas pay for his part in Chris' murder. After bringing Piper and baby Chris home from the hospital, Leo had set out on a mission to find and kill Barbas. For two months, Leo had been pursuing Barbas, in and out of the Underworld, forgoing eating or sleeping, vengeance the only nurishment Leo required.

"I know you're here Barbas. I'll get you sooner or later. Why don't you just show yourself, and maybe I'll make your death quick instead of real slow." Leo sneered.

The maliciousness of Leo's comment was so unlike the Elder, that Barbas, the demon of fear, actually _felt_ fear himself. Although, ever so briefly. _Hell_, he reminded himself, he was the demon of fear, and he would be damned before he let some goody two shoes _angel_ freak him out. Gathering his wits, Barbas tried to turn the tables on the revenge focused Elder.

Invisible, Barbas whispered into Leo's ear, "But you fear vanquishing me won't end your pain...because it wasn't a demon who killed your son, it was an Elder, YOUR mentor..."

Leo whipped around, his eyes searching the dark for Barbas, as he fought off Barbas' mind games. He would not be distracted from the task at hand, not like he had before. He had failed his son once, and he wouldn't make that mistake again. "Maybe it won't help me end my pain, but why don't we try it and find out for sure?" Charging forward, Leo brushed past the invisible Barbas, catching his shoulder. But before Leo could get a hold of him, Barbas quickly flamed out.

Leo held his hand out, sensing for Barbas, and prepared to orb out in pursuit, when a faint jingle brought him up short. _Piper._

He clenched his fist in frustration, before shaking off his rage. Piper came first. Family came first. He wasn't going to repeat the same mistakes.

"I'll be back," Leo growled, "You can run Barbas, but I'll get you eventually." And with that, Leo orbed out.

* * *

"Excuse me? You're telling me, my son, CHOSE to go to Hell?" Piper exclaimed in disbelief. 

Grams nodded.

"I don't believe you. Are you sure? How does one even choose to go to Hell?" Piper pressed, aghast at this turn in events. She thought she had been finally coming to terms with the death of her adult son, clinging to the belief that in death, he was at peace. Her son, relentless in his pursuit of demons to protect his brother, had earned his rest. Instead, her son was being tortured, sentenced to the eternal fires of Hell, for his sacrifice.

"I know, sweetie. I know... but if there's one thing you've learned over the years, it's that there's a reason for everything...which means there's a reason for this, too." Grams spoke, softly. "You have to trust in your destiny."

And at that moment, something inside of Piper _snapped_. It was like when Prue died. But worse, a thousand times worse. It wasn't _fair._ Her son was _gone_. And Gram's kept prattling on about Destiny?

All of Piper's grief threatened to resurface, grief that she had suppressed, in order to continue functioning. Since learning of her adult son's death, Piper had kept it together by the skin of her teeth. Her babies needed her; Leo needed her. She couldn't give into her emotions, because this time Leo had been the one who had needed her to be strong. They had both been devastated by Gideon's betrayal; but Leo had taken it especially hard. Gideon had been a trusted friend, his mentor, the one who had supported them against the other Elders through Leo and Piper's turbulent relationship and subsequent marriage. And the worse cut? Gideon had truly believed he was serving the 'Greater Good' by murdering one of their sons while trying to murder the other.

"Hello! I'm an Empath! Remember? Grams, I can still feel you hiding something from me, us..." Phoebe waved her hands in the air. Phoebe also shot Piper a sympathic look, picking up on Piper's distress.

Scowling, Grams replied, "Girls, I think I've said enough. If you want to find out more, you'll need to get your answers from 'Up There'. All I can tell you is that the Elders gave Chris a choice to decide his own fate, and he made his decision."

Paige shook her head, "He's neurotic, but I hardly think he would've picked going to Hell over going to the afterlife or any other fate!"

"Leo! Leo! Get your ass back here now!" Piper called out. She was angry, furious and wanted to wail her rage against the fates and so called destiny. But with a will of iron, she forced the emontional storm inside her to the back of her mind. Later she would scream her frustration on the unfairness of it all, but now, her son needed her. Everything else, anything else, could wait until she saved her son.

The beginning of orbs forming in the attic indicated that Leo had indeed heard Piper's call.

"Just remember Piper, it was Chris' decision. If you're going to muck this up, then you had better be prepared for the consequences." Grams decided it was time for her to go, before Piper could blow her up, judging by the expression on her granddaughter's face. "Good luck, my darlings. Somehow I think you're going to need it."

To be continued...

Just read that Drew won't be back...sniff, sniff...


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews! These are really helping me to keep motivated with writing as quickly as possible. So please, keep reviewing, if only to nag me to keep posting. BTW, my vision of the future in this chapter is different than the glimpses we got on the show, but I figure, since when does fan fic ever follow canon anyways?

Chapter 3:

Chilling rain poured from a leaden sky, making it impossible to see more than a foot ahead. Fortunately, there was little in the way of lightning; however, the wind and the sheet of rain more than made up for that lack. It was like a curtain of gray had been lowered over the remains of the city.

Shivering, Chris hid under a broken doorway of one of the many deserted homes on the street. The roof of the home was gone, the frame of the house barely standing. But it was the best place for shelter that Chris could find within a mile radius.

Wrapped in a worn blanket he had found in the streets, he was already soaked to the skin. The rain had found its way in through every opening, sending unexpected trickles of chills down his arms and back, and his exposed face got the full brunt of the weather. Worse, the material of the blanket soaked up the water, resulting in a dead weight on his shoulders. But still, it was better than being pelted by the fierce rainstorm without any protection at all.

It had taken him a half an hour to get his bearings. It still amazed him how similar the ruins of buildings looked compared to one another. When he finally realized he was a good two hours by foot away from home base, the rain had started. Quickly escalating into a thunderstorm, Chris had sought shelter in the closest building at hand. He glanced over his shoulder at the crumbling walls of the house. Remnants of photos and pictures hung haphazardly on the walls and littered the scorched floors of the house, proving that this had once been someone's cherished home.

Homes were deserted in the future, the demon activity making it too dangerous for any innocent to live above ground. Most of the innocents who had fled Wyatt's demons had taken shelter underground with the Resistance. However, there were those who were too scared to muster any resistance to Wyatt and his army of demons. Those that bowed down to Wyatt's dominance were directed to labour for Wyatt and his demons. After all, evil still needed to feed. The mortals tilled the fields, minded the herds and served the demons. Only after this service was done would they be able to farm the land for food for themselves and their families. It worked to Wyatt's advantage because a hungry man was more concerned with filling his belly with food, then with an attempt to overthrow a tyrant.

Not that the Resistance had been much better off. Foraging for food was one of the fundamental obstacles for the Resistance. Dodging Wyatt's armies of demons and searching for food consumed most of the Resistance's resources. Even with everyone on strict rations, there was never enough food or water.

Thinking of food, Chris' stomach growled. He couldn't remember the last time he had something to eat. He ignored it. He had been spoiled in the past, eating whenever and whatever he wanted, rummaging through the manor's refrigerator at all times of the night. It was time to fall back on old habits.

Chris wished he could just orb to the home base of the Resistance. He snickered to himself softly. It figured. After all, he had been the one that made sure no one could orb into home base. The advantage had been that no demons could shimmer into the base as well, the primary purpose of the spell. The disadvantage was neither could he or any of the other Resistance fighters who could orb or teleport.

_At the time, it had seemed a fair trade off_, Chris mused. _Murdered in our sleep, or a little bit more exercise for everyone._

The Resistance hadn't been able to fully cloak the location of its base, so the demons knew where it was, _approximately_. The magic around the base that prevented orbing or shimmering, forced everyone to orb or shimmer to just outside of the area. Which was where Chris was. Unfortunately, that made the territory a hot bed of demon activity; the ring of land just outside the protected area overflowed with demons, who hoped to catch Resistance fighters or scouts trying to make their way back to home base. So far, he had been lucky, as he had managed to avoid being spotted.

Chris glanced up at the sky again, but it didn't appear that the rain would be letting up any time soon. He had two choices, to wait out the rain, or push forward. Darkness was beginning to fall, making it that much more difficult for him to see. But it also meant it made it that much more difficult for him to be seen as well. Chris sighed. As much as he hated to go back out into the middle of the rainstorm, Chris acknowledged that the darkness would probably help cloak his movements. Who knew when the rain would let up anyways?

Chris gathered the blanket around him to form a hood over his head, and then plunged forward from the relative safety of his shelter into the enveloping darkness. _Just another twenty blocks..._

* * *

"Hell?" Stunned, Leo abruptly sat down on the couch behind him. "Are you sure?" 

Piper nodded. "Leo, I know you're still angry with Barbas, and that you've been chasing him, but I need you here right now. We need to rescue our son. I cannot believe that his fate was to come from the future, sacrifice himself for his family and then spend eternity in the pits of hell!"

Absorbing Piper's words, Leo shook his head. "Our son, I failed him, Piper. Again. Always." Burying his head in his heads, Leo slumped forward, defeated. It seemed he was destined to be a bad father to his second son.

Piper's heart ached for her husband. Kneeling in front of him, Piper gathered his hands in hers, pressing her lips to his palms. Her head bowed, touching her forehead to his, feeling his pain and her own as they both reeled under the news of Chris' fate.

Phoebe exchanged a worried glance with Paige, who came forward, placing a comforting hand on each of the grieving parents' shoulders.

"Leo, snap out of it. Your family needs you. Chris needs you. We need to know why the Elders sent Chris to hell. You need to go to them, so that we can get them to reverse their decision." Paige pleaded.

Piper nodded, "I'll go with you." Seeing the look on Leo's face, she held her hand up in front of him, "This isn't negotiable Leo."

Straightening his shoulders, Leo nodded, "We need someone to look after the boys while we sort all this out..."

"I'll call dad." Phoebe rushed from the room.

"I think I'll go and try to find something of Chris' to scry with, in case the Elders..." Paige trailed off, not wanted to suggest the idea. "We might be able to find him that way...I'll go check his room at P3." Paige orbed from the attic.

Left alone, Piper turned towards Leo, hugging her arms around herself. "We need to talk to the Elders. Privately. Let's go. Phoebe can look after the kids for a bit."

"Piper..." Leo touched her hand, uncertain.

Piper looked into Leo's eyes, "I won't let our son stay _there_, Leo. I won't. I don't care what the Elders say. It's not right; it's not fair. If we can't get him out..."

Leo pulled her into his arms, "That's not an option. Don't even think it, Piper."

And they orbed from the attic together.

* * *

Paige materialized in P3, and immediately headed to the back room, where Chris had been staying while he had been in the past. _Or was it their present?_ Shrugging, Paige ignored the complexities of time travel, and focused on her goal. Reaching for the doorknob, she opened the door to the back room, and brought herself up short as she took in the state of the room. 

Slowly, Paige walked into the room, her eyes running over the walls, desk and couch for any thing that could be used to link to Chris. The room was clean; tidy even. Obviously her nephew had taken it upon himself to clean up his mess before leaving for what, they had all thought at the time, back to his place in the future. His room was devoid of any trace that Chris had ever lived there, it almost seemed like he had never existed.

Seeing nothing, Paige moved over to the desk to search its contents. She sank into the chair and was about to pull open the top drawer, when she noticed something. A small drop of water formed on the surface of the desk.

And then another formed.

The drops quickly formed into a pool, as tears streamed down Paige's face, falling onto the clean, polished surface of the desk. The desk that Chris had used. How often had she and her sisters found him hunched over the desk, papers scattered carelessly across it, which he would futilely try to cover when they appeared? Future consequences, he would say and the sisters would roll their eyes at him.

Drawing in a shaky breath, Paige realized that she couldn't stop crying. She wept in silence, only the shaking of her shoulders betraying her. Holding her head in her hands, Paige wept for her nephew, both adult and baby.

Since coming into her powers, Paige had embraced her wiccan side whole heartedly. She had been given a chance to help others. Destiny had brought her to her sisters, and, in turn, them to the innocents who needed their help; she had learned that there was a cosmic order to the universe.

Penny Halliwell's words still rang in her head, _there's a reason for this too. You have to trust in your destiny._

And she had. Paige HAD believed in destiny, in fate. Until...

Destiny had brought Chris to his death.

And it was at that moment, the moment when Paige realized that destiny and fate didn't always side on the side of good, that Paige's world crumbled around her. Suddenly, Paige found herself questioning everything that she believed in, everything that she was. How could she keep clinging to the notions of destiny and fate, when it seemed that destiny and fate had turned its back on Chris? Or worse, was she to believe that Chris' destiny was an early death and his fate was to spend eternity in Hell?

Paige knew the answers to her questions couldn't be answered right now; she pushed her doubts to the back of her mind. Shaken to the core, Paige tried to concentrate at the task at hand. Later, she would question her notion of destiny, her belief in fate. Right now, she had a nephew to save.

Wiping the tears furiously from her face with the back of her hand, Paige drew in another shaky breath, and jerked the top drawer of the desk open. She peered down into the drawer, hoping to find something that Chris had forgotten to remove. "The little bugger..." Paige muttered to herself, sniffling, "Of course, he has to be so neurotic that he doesn't trust us enough to leave ANYTHING behind that could change the future..."

Frustrated, Paige slammed the drawer shut, and moved on to the next one, and then the next one. Again nothing. About to slam the last drawer shut again, Paige paused. A piece of paper, the corner just peeking out from behind the drawer, was stuck between the back of the desk and drawer, caught her attention. _Paydirt_, Paige thought.

"Paper!" Paige commanded, as the paper orbed to her hand. Smoothing out the creases, Paige inspected her find. Scribbles of dates and complex math calculations littered the page. Circled in bold black ink was the month of February. Chris' conception month, Paige realized, satisfied. _No doubt about it, the handwriting on this piece of paper must be Chris'._ _Must have been when he was looking at those star charts, trying to figure out when he was conceived._

Not as personal as keys, but it would have to do.

Paige sighed, and tucking the paper carefully into her pocket, she orbed back to the manor.

* * *

"Hi? Dad? Look, we really need you to come over and watch your grandkids...You can be here in an hour? Great! Thanks Daddy. See you soon." Phoebe smiled, and hung up the phone. About to make her way back to the attic, she paused, hearing a knock at the door. 

_Who could be visiting the manor? _Phoebe thought. _Damn, I hope it's not one of those door-to-door salesmen._ As she passed through the hall from the kitchen to the door, she glanced at the nephews who were quietly sleeping in the playpen, reassuring herself that they were both still okay.

At the sound of the doorbell, Phoebe yanked open the front door, "Okay, okay, hold your horses. Look, whatever you're selling, I'm not buying so you can just turn around and get your...cute..ah," Phoebe trailed off, confronted by the handsome man that filled the doorway.

"Sorry?" The man questioned, and then held out his hand, "Hi, I'm Leslie. You were expecting me? Good to meet you Phoebe. I can call you Phoebe, right?"

Taking his hand in hers, to give it a quick shake, she _felt_ something. _Damn empathic powers_, Phoebe thought. That actually was the one power she hadn't been missing. Why couldn't she have earned back her levitation or premonition powers first?

A desire to help and an overwhelming sense of _warmth_ were the most prevalent emotions she could pick up from him. _And...apprehension?_

"Uh, Phoebe?" Leslie quickly pulled his hand and quirked his eyebrow at her. "Elise mentioned that I was going to stop by, right? How are the rats?"

"Rats, what rats? Elise said you were going to stop by?" Phoebe continued to stare at the man, her mind running back to the phone conversation she had had earlier with her boss.

_Hello? Hi Elise. What? You found a ghostwriter already? ...uhhhh, okay, well, now's not a good time to met her...What? Come over here? No, I don't think that's a good idea. It's just...we're uh, getting the house fumigated._

As the memory of the phone conversation came back, Phoebe realized who was standing in her doorway. "Leslie! You're the ghostwriter! I'm sorry, it's just that I thought, I mean when Elise mentioned your name, I just assumed..."

"You thought I was a woman, huh?" Leslie smiled, "So does this mean you weren't expecting me?"

"Look...now's really not a good time..." Phoebe started, and then jumped back in alarm, as Leslie shouldered his way past her into the living room. "Hey, hey wait! Where do you think you're going?"

Leslie stopped in front of the playpen, glancing down at the two children, innocently asleep. He glanced over his shoulder, as Phoebe came hurrying up behind him. "I figure if we're going to have a conversation, we could at least have it inside instead of on your front door step. I know I'm not from San Francisco and all, but are manners really so different here that you don't invite people in before you try to get rid of them?"

Phoebe sighed. "Look, it's not that I want to get rid of you..." At Leslie's skeptical look, Phoebe caved. "Okay, okay, I want to get rid of you, but it's just temporary. I just don't have time for this. I'll call Elise and sort it all out."

"Before you do, would you at least do me the favour of reading this?" Leslie reached into his pocket and pulled out two pieces of paper, one on bubble gum pink stationary. Motioning her to sit down, he handed over the papers. "See if you like it."

Taking the papers in her hand, Phoebe sat down on the couch and began to read them. "Where did you get this letter?" she asked, suspiciously, as she began to read the pink stationary. As she recognized the letter from one of the ones she had been perusing the last time she was in her office, "You...you took this from my desk!" Phoebe sputtered.

Leslie rolled his eyes. "Just read the column, okay?" Bending over the playpen, Leslie stared down at the toddler and baby. "Do you mind?" Leslie asked, motioning with his hands towards the baby. "I love kids. My sister's got a bunch of them."

"Uh, sure..." Phoebe said, distractedly, absorbed in reading Leslie's column. The advice was exactly what she would have given! The writing style was a bit off, but nothing she couldn't fix in under 10 minutes. "This is amazing, it's almost exactly how I would have answered her...how did you..." Phoebe trailed off, as turning towards Leslie, she saw him holding baby Chris.

"Oh my god! Give him back!" Phoebe squealed, snatching the baby out of Leslie's hold. As she grabbed the baby, her right hand brushed Leslie's and her powers flared up again.

_Awe. Admiration. Protectiveness._

_Respect._

"Hey, sorry. I thought you'd be okay with me holding the baby. I did ask you, remember?" Leslie looked at Phoebe strangely. "I would never hurt your nephew, ever."

_Awe? Admiration? Respect? For a baby?_ Confused, Phoebe stared at Leslie. She could feel that he was telling her the truth, but his emotions didn't make any sense to her. _And how_... "How did you know he was my nephew?"

"Elise mentioned it to me, when she asked me to be your ghost writer." Leslie shrugged. "So what did you think of the column? I've read all your past columns, so that I could get the tone just right. I think you'll find that you won't need to spend as much time on your column, if you let me ghost write it, and you could just review it."

Phoebe tightened her hold on baby Chris as he began to squirm. "It's great. Really. It's just...I'm not sure I'm ready to let go." Phoebe said, softly, looking down at her nephew.

"You're not letting go, Phoebe. You're putting your family first. There's no harm in that." Leslie stated. "Look Phoebe. The last thing that I want to do is make things harder for you than they already are. I want to help you and your family. But if you don't want me to ghost write for you, then that's cool. But I'm glad you thought the column was great. I have to admit, I was a little bit afraid of meeting you, let alone ghost writing for you. After all, you're one of San Francisco's favourite columnists."

At least that explained the apprehension she had felt earlier. Phoebe looked up into Leslie's eyes. Her empathic powers told her to trust this man. "All right. You can write the column. But you need to run them by me first before you even think about giving them to Elise for print."

"Agreed." Leslie smiled. "I won't let you down, Phoebe. I promise."

* * *

"What are we doing here Leo? I thought we were going to see the Elders." Piper asked, puzzled, as they materialized at the site of the Tribunal Council. 

"I'm not sure. I was orbing to them, when I felt this _pull_..." Leo replied, pushing Piper behind him protectively.

Two of the floating heads from the Tribunal Council appeared, both of them Elders.

"We have brought you here to answer the questions that you have about your son," Adair said, glancing at the other floating head. "We knew you would have questions sooner or later."

Aramis, the other Elder, nodded his agreement. "You seek answers about your son, Christopher Halliwell. But are you prepared for the consequences?"

Leo and Piper looked at each other, their eyes signaling to each other their silent agreement. Leo stepped forward, "We are. Please, what do you know about our son? Why did he choose to go to Hell?"

"Watch," was Adair's response, as the circle of truth lit up and an image of Chris, in front of the Tribunal appeared. His shoulders back, his head held high, he looked like a young man ready to meet his fate head on.

_This is a choice about my fate. It's my reward, right? So technically, I should be able to choose a different option, one that you didn't offer me...As long as it's acceptable to all of you, of course._

_Then I choose to take Leo's place. To accept the punishment on his behalf. You said you wanted to make an example of him. To show everyone that you can't try to tip the balance between good and evil for your own reasons. Do you really need to make an example out of him specifically? What's the difference if I'm the one you make an example of? The message is still the same. You said you were giving me a chance to decide my fate as my reward. Well, I'm holding you to it._

And the image ended.

"I don't understand..." Piper looked up at the Elders, confused. "What did he mean, 'take Leo's place'?"

"Exactly what the circle of truth showed you. When Leo took matters into his own hands and killed one of our own, there were consequences. Did you really think that you could destroy an Elder and we would ignore it?" Aramis explained, gently. "We are responsible for the balance between good and evil, and we cannot allow any one to tip the scales either way for their own personal gain. No matter how much we sympathize with you."

"Personal gain? Personal gain?" Piper's voice rose indignantly, pushing her way past Leo, to stare vehemently at the Aramis and Adair. "How is saving Wyatt, _a baby_, our son, personal gain? How is putting the world back the way it's suppose to be, _personal_ _gain_?"

"Piper." Leo placed his hand on her arm, restraining her. "Chris said he was taking my place. That he chose to go to Hell in my place. Is that true?"

Both floating heads nodded.

Leo drew in a shuddering breath. "It's not right. You should never have let him do that. This is my responsibility. I want you to reverse this right now. I accept my punishment. Just give us back our son."

Leo shushed Piper, as she whirled around with a cry of dismay. "This is our son, Piper. I'm not going to let him suffer for my sins. Please don't ask me to." Leo pleaded, his eyes searched Piper's for understanding. Before Piper could react, the Elders spoke.

"We are sorry Leo, but what's done is done. When the Tribunal metes out a sentence, it must be carried through. If we reversed our decision, it would set a precedent that we cannot condone." Adair and Aramis glanced at each other again. "Your son...is a good man."

And with that, the two heads disappeared.

"No!" Leo shouted. "No! You can't do this! Come back, come back, oh god...please, come back."

Disbelief and grief raged inside Leo, as he met his wife's grief-stricken eyes. "We'll get him back, Piper. I promise, we'll get him back."

To be continued.

A/N: Just a little warning, I suspect this will be a fairly long story. I had put together a one page story outline before I started writing, so that I would know where I wanted the story to go, but I've only covered 4 lines from that outline so far and I'm already on chapter 3.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I hope you all don't mind that I take some space to thank my reviewers personally. I really, really appreciate each and every review I get, because it keeps me going. I'm not sure I would be updating as often if it weren't for you guys, (ie. knowing that there are people out there, actually reading my fic.)

Rhia: Will do! salutes ; )

Melissa-p: Yes, I'm a spoiler junkie – I love reading spoilers for all shows, and I thought it'd be fun if I threw in some to the story, just for kicks. You can read where Drew isn't coming back at drewfullerfan (sorry, for some reason the program won't let me put in the www and the around the site name) which is an awesome site, BTW, for any fan of Drew's

Eboni: I, too, wish the writers would bring back Chris, but (sigh), I realize that having an extra guy on the show that the girls can't hit on isn't in the cards. Oh well. I guess the character will just have to live on in my fan fic.

Drewfuller4eva: Thank you so much for taking the time to post a review for each chapter. I really, really appreciate the encouragement, and it helps keep me motivated to keep writing as fast as I can.

Ilovedrew88: As to saving Chris, well, that is one of the major plot lines in my story, so I hope they will save him too! Stay tuned!

Mar: I'm glad you liked the twist, and felt bad for Leo. I really wanted Leo to come off as trying to be a good father, but circumstances, through no fault of his own, keep working against him.

Teal-lover: Awesome story? Coming from you, that is truly a compliment. I've been enjoying your story very much as well. bows head in awe

Reion: Thanks! I'm glad you think it's a good story...I was a little afraid that I would post it, and everyone would be, like, huh?

FennecFox11: Yeah, I'm addicted to spoilers. I know some producers hate spoilers, but hey, I figure, if I didn't want to be spoiled, then I wouldn't read them.

Manette: Bonjour! Si vous ecrirez en francais avec moi, j'espere que je peux comprendre un petit peu! O.K., that's the extent of my badly written French (sorry, no accents on the computer keyboard...). Yes, Chris did choose Hell to save Leo from that fate. Poor Chris...

Fatefuldestiny: Hints received!

Rafiki: As you can see, I'm definitely continuing the fic. The question is just how long winded am I?

Gimmieabreak: I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying...really I am...I'm hurrying so much that I think I have carpel tunnel syndrome from typing so much.

Spikesummers: Well, I'm not taking him out just yet, but hey, look on the bright side, there's no fire where he is!

Okay, on with the show!

* * *

Chapter 4 Previously... 

"_Agreed." Leslie smiled. "I won't let you down, Phoebe. I promise." _

Nodding her agreement, Phoebe shifted baby Chris in her arms. Although only two months old, her nephew was rapidly putting on weight. Seeing her struggling with the baby, Leslie opened up his arms and offered, "Would you like me to take him? Like I said, my sister's got a bunch of the noise makers, so I've had lots of practice."

Staring into his eyes, Phoebe tried to read him again. She wanted to be positive that her instincts were right about this man, before she would even consider handing her nephew over. But she couldn't read anything from him; it felt like she was sliding her hand over glass walls as she tried to search behind his eyes. It had been easy to read him before, why couldn't she read him now?

"Phoebe?" Leslie prompted, his arms still outstretched.

Phoebe tightened her hold on her nephew. No matter how much her instincts were telling her to trust this man, and even though her initial reading of him told her to trust him, she wasn't positive. She wasn't sure she could trust _anyone_ again, not after Gideon's betrayal. Phoebe opened her mouth to come up with a plausible excuse, "Ohh, I don't know. He's a little shy of strangers..."

Leslie quirked his eyebrow at her, "I was holding him before, and he was just fine."

"Well, ahhh, you see...," Phoebe grinned weakly, racking her brain for an excuse, "My sister, his mom, probably wouldn't want a stranger to, you know..."

Before Phoebe could complete her sentence, a portal glowed, and then opened, as a demon stepped through the portal behind Leslie.

"Wyatt! Danger!" Wyatt's shield came up immediately, as Phoebe screamed.

Without even a glance towards the playpen, the demon focused its eyes on Phoebe, forming an energy ball and _threw_ it straight towards her.

"Get down!" Leslie yelled, and before Phoebe could react, pushed her out of the way. Clutching baby Chris, Phoebe stumbled, trying to keep her balance, and fell to the floor, narrowly missing crushing her nephew beneath her. Phoebe felt the heat of the energy ball as it whizzed by her, so close that she swore the hair on her head was slightly singed.

"Hey! Watch it!" Phoebe glared at Leslie, as she gingerly rolled to her side, twisting her body to protect the baby, hoping to hide behind the couch. Leslie, crouching protectively over her and the baby, ignored her as the demon began to stalk them. Cursing her lack of active powers, Phoebe opened her mouth to yell for Leo, when she felt the heat from another energy ball on her face.

Time seemed to slow as Phoebe watched the energy ball headed straight for her and Leslie. As if in slow motion, Phoebe desperately struggled to get out of the way, her feet scrambling beneath her, as she sought to save her nephew. Without her active powers, she couldn't channel the fireball away from them in time. She held up her hand in front of her face futilely in hopes of warding off the fiery death they were about to meet.

But the painful death she was expecting didn't come. As Phoebe slowly lowered her hand, she saw that the fireball that had been whizzing towards them, _paused_, and then was redirected back towards the demon, who erupted into flames, thoroughly vanquished.

"What the hell just happened?" Phoebe thought out loud, glancing up at Leslie, still crouched above her. He was breathing heavily, sweat pouring down his face, as he looked down at Phoebe.

"I think I just saved your life."

* * *

Chris gingerly made his way along what was left of the street in the general direction to the Resistance's home base. At least, he _hoped_ he was heading in the right direction. The destruction of the entire city made it difficult for him to really pinpoint where he was. He had a pretty good guess, but it was still just a guess. 

In the distance, Chris could hear the high-pitched whine of energy balls above the howling of the wind; then the explosions that continued to punish the city followed, as the street buckled beneath him.

_Well, I must be on the right track,_ Chris thought to himself, _after all, the territory around the base was always under attack._ Or, when a turf war amongst the demons escalated into infighting; it wasn't in their nature to get along with each other.

Stealthily moving his way along the street, Chris was grateful for the covering darkness. Streetlights were a thing of the past, a memory, like most of the city; luckily, the showers of cinders and tongues of flames from the resulting energy balls provided all the light he needed. _Or unluckily, depending on how you thought about it. At least the rain has stopped._

Chris picked up his pace, knowing that in a few short hours, daylight would rise, and with it, his cover lost. So far he hadn't encountered any demons; but then, neither had he encountered any Resistance fighters. _They could be laying low,_ Chris reasoned, _but_ _where are the scout teams?_

He pushed aside his doubts, and realizing he was close, Chris eagerly moved forward, ducking into a ruined building, searching – _there..._

By all appearances, it was just another damaged high-rise with barely 5 floors still standing, on a block full of other destroyed buildings; none stood taller than 10 stories, a depressing reminder of the once proud sky-scrapers that had graced the city's skyline at one point. But in this building was a tunnel that Chris was looking for, a tunnel that would take him to home base. He hurried over to a decrepit iron gate, hanging drunkenly on its hinges. Carefully moving it aside, he slipped into the dark corridor that lay beyond. The winding service corridor was barely lit but for a few malfunctioning flickering neon lights, and Chris slowed his pace to allow his eyes to adjust to the spooky darkness. The tunnel descended beneath ground level, connecting to the basement of the building and to the underground network of tunnels below.

Still wary least he encounter any demons, Chris continued to cautiously move forward, keeping his eyes and ears peeled. The tunnels were mainly unguarded; the complicated layout acted in favour of the Resistance, against those, such as demons, unfamiliar with the miles of underground tunnels. Because of the destruction of the buildings above ground, and the resulting damage beneath, not all tunnels were safe due to the instability of the foundations and some ended in dead ends. In its prior life, it had been an underground shopping concourse, much like an underground city, linked to numerous buildings in the downtown San Francisco area. Now it served as the home base of the Resistance.

Two miles later, Chris arrived at his destination. The growing dread in his stomach had been building; there should have been no way that he could gotten so close to the base without running into scouts from the Resistance. Possibilities ran through his mind, and the best-case scenario was that they were spread frighteningly thin. Too thin to even guard the tunnels that protected them from their foes.

In front of him lay a huge steel door, much like one found on a bank vault; in fact, it had been, before it had been dragged here to serve as the first line of defense to the base. To the untrained eye, it looked like a dead end, a collapsed section of the tunnel. The magic of illusion hid the door from demons from stumbling across it.

Placing his palms against the door, he could hear the wheels turning, as the magical locking system recognized him. Within seconds, the door swung open, and Chris stepped foot into what had been his home for most of his adult life in the future, as the door swung shut behind him.

The base was an enormous underground structure of steel and reinforced concrete that housed the Resistance and the innocents they protected. Bustling with people, it had been an underground hive of activity, where all Resistance efforts were planned and coordinated. Chris had half expected the shelter to be humming with activity.

Instead, he felt the death wind that blew like a gust from hell through the deserted base.

There was no one there.

In disbelief, Chris began to run across the huge complex, picking his way across, heading for the command post. Breathing hard, he passed the scorched floors and metal shafts, connectors and other objects littering the floor, laying where they had obviously fallen. It was obvious to Chris now that there had been a huge battle, for the entire complex was in ruins. Yanking the door open to the command post, he stepped into the room where he had spent most of his time in the future before he had left to save Wyatt. It was round, with a round table in the centre. A single lamp was lit, suspended from the ceiling, positioned exactly above the centre of the table. Beneath it, a white crystal, the size of a soccer ball, rested on the table. As the door closed behind him, he acknowledged the 'dead' feeling to the room. He moved to the far end of the room, where ceiling to floor windows looked out, onto the complex. He let his gaze slowly circle the room, and then turned to the windows, searching.

There was no sign of life.

The Resistance was gone.

He was alone.

* * *

"Thank you...I think...Just how _did_ you do that?" Phoebe, still on the ground, backpedaled away from Leslie, only to be brought up short as her back hit the couch, her eyes never leaving him. 

Slowly, Leslie rose to his feet and held his hand out to Phoebe. "You can trust me, Phoebe."

Slapping his hand away, Phoebe scrambled to her feet, baby Chris fussing as her hold tightened. Relaxing her grip just a bit (boy, did she hope the kid didn't have bruises later, or Piper was going to _kill_ her), she shot a glance over Leslie's shoulder, making sure Wyatt was still okay. The toddler was standing on both feet, his shield down, his little hands gripping the top of the playpen as he stared at his aunt and the man.

"Where have I heard that before?" Phoebe gestured for Leslie to move away, so that she could pass him. "Did you think I was born yesterday? Let me tell _you_, telling me to _trust you_, really doesn't make me inclined to. Now I want to know what the hell just happened and who the hell you are, or I'll vanquish you to the beyond." Slowly, with her back to Wyatt, she walked towards the playpen, past Leslie. Her eyes never leaving Leslie, she placed baby Chris in the playpen with Wyatt. "Wyatt, shield," Phoebe said, and the toddler immediately responded to his aunt's command, the blue shield effectively protecting both him and his brother.

Her hands on her hips, Phoebe stood protectively in front of her nephews as she waited. "I may not have all my active powers, but I can still cast spells, and I can rhyme pretty fast if I have to."

Holding his hands up in the air in surrender, Leslie took a step forward, "Look Phoebe..."

"Back off! Now!" Phoebe commanded, as Leslie hastily took several steps back.

His hands still in the air, Leslie sighed. "Phoebe, you can trust me. You know you can. I know you've got your empathy powers back. Read me. _Trust me._"

Narrowing her eyes, Phoebe concentrated. Gazing into his eyes, this time, there was no glass wall to stop her from reading him.

_Protectiveness. Concern. And desire--?_

Abruptly, the emotions were cut off, as the glass wall came up again. Looking slightly embarrassed, his cheeks slightly flushed, Leslie stuttered, "Uh, I think you got a good enough read to trust me, right?

Cocking her head to the side, Phoebe studied the handsome man in front of her. Now was not the time, but in another time and place..._he was kind of cute_...shaking her head, Phoebe focused on the main issue, "And how exactly did you block me?"

"I'm a telepath. That's how I was able to channel the energy ball back at the demon earlier." Leslie shrugged sheepishly. As Phoebe's eyes grew in alarm, he hastily explained, "Don't worry! I don't go rummaging about in someone else's mind unless they want me to! Besides, I keep myself shielded most of the time not to just prevent other people from reading me, but to keep their thoughts out as well. You have no idea how annoying it can get, reading other people's random thoughts."

"Actually, I might." Phoebe thought back to the time when she could read her sisters' emotions, whether she wanted to or not. A thought occurred to her. "So, before, when I first opened the door, that reading I got? You let me read you?" Phoebe asked.

Leslie nodded. "I knew you wouldn't let me in if you didn't get some kind of hit off me. And I needed to prove to you that I'm not a threat."

"Well, I'm still not sure if you're a threat or not..." Phoebe trailed off.

"Phoebe, you read me!"

"That doesn't mean you're not a threat! Sorry if you don't like that, but the fact that you can block me at all, doesn't really help your argument." Phoebe pointed out.

Exasperated, Leslie threw his hands up in the air. "Look, Phoebe, I know this is a lot to take in..."

"Nooooo, it's not, because, when you get right down to it, you haven't TOLD me anything." Phoebe interrupted, "Well, except that you're a telepath who admires and respects babies..." gesturing to baby Chris, "and you want to be a ghostwriter. Whoa! Wait a minute, are you even a ghostwriter? Or is this a set up?" Phoebe eyed Leslie suspiciously.

"Look, it's not that I don't want to tell you..." Leslie tried again.

"Oh no! I'm SO not falling for that again." Phoebe glared, "Either you tell me the whole story, or get out." Arching her eyebrow at him, Phoebe crossed her arms, every single bone in her body conveying her stubbornness.

Sighing, Leslie looked away for a moment, before making his decision. "I was sent from the future to protect the Charmed Ones. That demon, he didn't shimmer in, Phoebe. He came through a portal. _A time portal._"

"Excuse me?!?" Phoebe moaned, pinching the bridge of her nose in stress. "What is with all this time travel lately? Can't you people do things right the first time?"

"Phoebe! I'm _trying_ to do what's right! That's why I'm here!" Leslie rolled his eyes.

"You said you were sent here...so who sent you?" Phoebe asked, suspiciously. "And don't tell me you can't tell me." Holding her hand up to stall him, she announced, "Yeah, yeah, I've heard all about the future consequences thingy that I'm going to take. Either I get a full explanation right here, right now, or the only thing you'll be protecting is yourself."

Sighing, Leslie confessed, "Darryl sent me."

The doorbell rang.

"Huh, _our_ Darryl?"

Leslie shrugged, "Well, not _your_ Darryl, precisely, but Darryl in the future, about 22 years from now. He's a good friend of mine."

Before Phoebe could question him further, the doorbell rang again, followed by some incessant knocking.

"Phoebe? Piper? Paige? Hell-o? Anyone in there?" a familiar voice shouted through the front door.

Pointing her finger at him, Phoebe glared at Leslie, "Do _not_ move...I need to get that, and if you move one inch..."

"I know, I know, you'll vanquish me to the beyond." Leslie completed, tiredly. "Maybe I shouldn't point this out, but I'm not a demon, so you _can't_ vanquish me, you know."

"Maybe not. But I can certainly turn you into a toad, mister. Now stay!"

With one eye still on Leslie, Phoebe opened the front door. "Daddy!"

"Hey honey! I was about to get a little scared there. After all, on the phone you told me that it was an emergency." Victor moved into the hallway, pulling off his coat. "How are my two favourite grandsons...And who might you be?" Victor asked, pleasantly, as he caught sight of Leslie.

"I'm a friend of Phoebe's. Leslie." Sticking out his hand, Leslie grasped Victor's hand, giving it a firm shake.

"Wait a minute! We haven't decided if you're a friend yet!" Phoebe glared at Leslie, again.

"So whose friend are you?" Victor asked, puzzled.

Cutting off Leslie's reply, Phoebe rounded on him, pointing her finger to the far end of the room, "What did I say about toads? Back to your corner now, while I try to figure out what to do with you..."

Victor quirked his eyebrow at his daughter, "Problems?"

"Yeah, he says he's from the future."

"Oh geez! I have another grandson?!" Victor exclaimed, alarmed.

"No!" Both Leslie and Phoebe shouted, both of their expressions equally horrified. It was hard to tell who was more repulsed by the idea. "No, errrr, I'm a friend of Darryl's. Not related to the Halliwells in any way, shape or form. Scout's honour." Leslie insisted, holding his right hand up.

"That's good," Victor replied, a little less agitated. "I'm still getting use to the notion of meeting one of my future grandsons as an adult."

"This is all very well and good, but could we _please_ try and concentrate here? Okay, you're a friend of Darryl's. Why would Darryl send you here? And how did he even send you here? He doesn't have any powers." Phoebe closed her eyes, frustration oozing from every pore in her body.

"Well, you see..."

THUD!!

Hearing a thud in the attic, Phoebe glanced heavenwards. "That must be Paige. Okay I'm going up there. You, don't touch anything and don't move," she pointed at Leslie, "And you, stay here with the kids. Wyatt will protect you with his shield." And with that, she marched up the stairs, leaving the two men staring at each other.

* * *

Paige cursed. Rubbing her side where it had hit the stand, she bent over to pick up the overturned stand and the Book of Shadows from where it had fallen onto the floor. 

"Paige, is that you?" Phoebe's voice drifted up the stairs.

"Yeah, sorry. Someone moved the Book of Shadows." Paige explained, as Phoebe entered the attic. "Where are the kids?"

"Daddy's with them." Phoebe looked around the room, "Where are Piper and Leo?"

Paige shrugged, "They were still here when I left for the club. They must have gone to see the Elders without us."

"I wish they would have waited for us," Phoebe grumbled.

"Yeah, well, they didn't. So let's try to do something useful in the meantime and scry for Chris." Paige pulled the piece of paper she had retrieved from P3, and headed over to the table, picking up the scrying crystal.

"A piece of paper? Is that what you brought? Why not a sweater, or a T-shirt or..."

"Because that's all I could find! He, like, had a Piper and cleaned everything out!" Paige retorted.

"Oh."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the two sisters were still in the attic. 

"Find anything yet?" Phoebe asked, as she hovered over Paige's shoulder.

"No, not since the 5 seconds ago when you _last_ asked me." Paige threw her sister an irritating look, before looking down at the papers in front of her. She had been scrying for Chris, using the map of the planes of existence she had grabbed the last time she had visited Magic School; she had been curious about the different planes. She had meant to return it when she was done, but hadn't gotten around to it.

At the sounds of orbs, Paige glanced up from the map, "Hey, so did you guys find out anything about..." Paige stopped, abruptly, seeing the expressions on Leo's and Piper's faces as the orbs formed.

Both Piper and Leo shook their heads slowly. "They won't...they won't reverse their decision. They say it was Chris' choice." Leo said, hoarsely, his throat still constricted from unshed tears.

"But why? Why would Chris choose to go to Hell?" Phoebe questioned. "No one would ever choose to go there. I mean, it's the last place any sane individual would want to go..."

"Phoebe." Piper tried to stop her sister from prattling on.

"I mean, Hell is suppose to be horrible, right? Why would he want to go somewhere where he'd experience torture and pain and..." Phoebe rattled on, oblivious to the tension in the room.

"Phoebe!" Piper yelled, "Enough! We don't need this right now." Piper could see her sister's hurt expression, but she couldn't worry about Phoebe right now. Glancing at Leo, she saw that it was too late. He was devastated.

"He choose to go to Hell for me." Leo whispered. He sat down on the chair across from Paige, looking utterly defeated. Guilt tore at his insides; every word that Phoebe had said felt like a sword was being shoved into his gut. "He...he took my punishment. The punishment meant for _me_; for killing an Elder – Gideon. He..." Leo's voice broke, as he imagined the horrors his son was facing even as they spoke.

Paige and Phoebe stared at Leo, and then turned their attention to their sister in disbelief. At Piper's nod, the sisters stared at each other, as the reality of Chris' fate sank in.

"Oh my god. Oh honey," Phoebe turned to Piper, and enveloped her in a hug. Paige wrapped her arms around her two sisters, offering what comfort she could.

Piper drew in a shaky breath, and stepped out of her sisters' embraces, her arms hugging herself. Leo looked up from his position, his eyes bright with unshed tears. "I don't care. We don't care. Leo and I," Piper explained at her sisters' puzzled glances, holding her hand out to Leo, who rose to take it. Her eyes red and puffy, Piper was through with shedding tears. "We decided. We're going to get him back. Even if we have to go down to Hell ourselves and vanquish every single demon there is."

To be continued...of course!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: When I first started this fic, I thought it was going to be an action adventure. I wrote down all these neat little ideas in my story outline, and went to work. Well, it seems like my outline has taken a life of its own, and instead of adventure, I keep writing _this_, which I'm not sure which genre it fits in. Angst, maybe? Oh well. Maybe I'll have it figured out when I get to the end.

Enjoy!

Chapter 5

"Will you help us?" Leo asked, gravely. "This isn't...you guys need to know that there could be consequences with the Elders."

"You couldn't stop us." Phoebe stated, touching her hand briefly to Leo's arm in comfort, before quickly pulling it away. At his questioning look, she replied, ruefully, "Sorry, I've got my empathy powers back, so I'm trying to avoid getting too close to anyone to read them..."

"Can you still read me? You were giving me a weird look earlier in the attic when we were with Grams. What about the empathy blocking potion we took?" Piper asked, as she glanced at the scrying crystal that Paige had been using earlier.

"Oh, it still works. I can't read a thing off of you and Paige. Although, I don't really think I need my empathy powers to know what you're feeling." Phoebe said, softly. "I just wish I had gotten my premonition powers back instead. Maybe we would have been able to find Chris."

Leo shook his head. "Premonitions don't work that way, Phoebe. And you probably got your empathy powers back first for a reason."

Paige stiffened at Leo's words; _a reason_, almost the same words Grams had used to explain Chris' fate. She knew Leo was unaware of her feelings, but it was like pouring salt on an open wound.

Shoving her feelings aside, she changed the subject, "I hate to interrupt, but we have a bit of a problem." Paige moved beside Piper, showing her the scrying crystal, and piece of paper with Chris' scribblings. "Chris cleaned out everything at the club, and this was the only thing I could find. It's not really personal, so I'm not sure if I can't find him because we need something that really _belongs _to him or if he's just not on this map." Paige waived her hand frustratingly at the map. "Although, I'm pretty sure it's not the map, since this IS a map of all the planes in existence, so he's got to be on the one marked 'Hell.'" Paige grumbled.

"But we don't have anything else that's Chris'." Phoebe began slowly. "He made sure of that, when he was getting ready for us to send him back. He didn't want..."

"Future consequences." Piper finished, looking at Leo helplessly. "Leo, we need something of Chris' to find him." Why couldn't they catch a break? Despair threatened to overwhelm her, and she forced it down with an audible swallow. She had to keep her head on straight if she was going to save her son.

Before Leo could answer, another voice responded, "Maybe this will help."

The sisters, and Leo turned towards the voice.

"Clarence," Amazed, Leo took a step forward. "What are you doing here?"

"Clarence? You know him? Who is he? And how'd he get into the attic without us knowing?" Paige asked, suspiciously.

"He's...a friend. He works for the Angel of death, as a messenger." Leo stood in front of the sisters, protectively. "I hope this is a social call?"

Clarence smiled serenely, "Don't worry, I'm not here on official business."

"Then why _are_ you here?" Piper asked, slowly.

Clarence's smile faltered. "I'm here...I'm here because of your son, Chris."

"Chris?" Piper gasped, "Do you know where he is? What happened to him?"

Clarence nodded slowly. "I was with him when the Tribunal made their decision." Reaching out his hand, Clarence solemnly held out an envelope to Leo. "While we were waiting for the Tribunal to make their decision, Chris wrote this. He asked me to give it to you if anything happened to him."

Leo glanced at Piper in disbelief. At her urging, he took the letter from Clarence. His hands shaking, he ripped the envelope open, unfolding the letter inside. He recognized the writing as Chris'.

_Leo,_

_If you are reading this letter, then you've found out about the whole 'preserving the balance between good and evil' crap with the Elders. I'm not sure what's about to happen, but I've just got this really bad feeling... _

_If I'm wrong, Clarence will burn this letter anyway, so you won't find out that I wrote this._

_(Clarence tells me that 'it's against the rules' for me to contact you as a spirit, which is why I couldn't contact you before. Besides, I'm not even sure if I am or will be a spirit, or ghost, or whatever.) _

_You've probably been blaming yourself for my death at Gideon's hands. Don't. You weren't the one who stabbed me. When I first arrived in the past, I knew there was a pretty good chance that I would never get back. I accepted that even before I left the future that I could die outside my timeline or that I wouldn't be able to return. Besides, it's not so much death that bothers me, but rather, how a person goes._

_Dying to protect my family, our future - that's better than living safe. And I know you'll understand when I say that there is nothing more important to me than protecting our family._

_The truth is, we never saw eye to eye on the whole 'destiny and fate' thing (I guess kind of like most things). If I believed in fate the way everyone else does, I would have never bothered to come back to the past to try to change it in the first place. After all, you and the sisters believe everything happens for a reason, right? _

_I don't believe that. "Destiny" is the one word I've always hated, ever since Mom sat down and explained to me her destiny as a Charmed One when I was little. I don't care what the Elders say; I am NOT some puppet that they can manipulate when they see fit. Me coming to the past wasn't some foreordained quest, and I am certainly not some stupid hero in a prophecy. When I came to the past to save Wyatt, I could feel a change in the air. Already the sisters had eliminated some of the demons that were the biggest threat in my future. If these demons were now gone, that had to have changed the future somehow, right?_

_I believe that we can change our destinies, that some invisible hand isn't herding us to a predetermined fate. I believe that we can reach out and make it our own, that there is 'no fate'. _

_I have to believe that; because I can't believe that my older brother will turn evil, or that my mother will die young, and that the future is lost._

_Tell mom...tell mom, that I'm okay. Give my love to her and my aunts, Grandpa... our family. Take care of them for me._

_You and mom should grow old together. Take care of Wyatt and mini-me._

_Always,_

_Chris_

Clarence had disappeared while the two parents read, flashing out of the attic. Paige and Phoebe watched as the emotions flickered across Leo and Piper's faces as they read the letter from their son. Piper was sobbing, even before she finished reading, and Leo had turned pale as a ghost. The two parents embraced each other in comfort, holding each other tightly as they absorbed their son's last words to them.

Gently plucking the letter from Leo's unresisting hand, Phoebe and Paige both read the letter. Silent tears rolled down Phoebe's face, as she quickly scanned the letter. Paige's eyes were bright with unshed tears, and drawing a shaky breath, she blinked furiously, trying to hold the tears back. She would be damned if these were Chris' last words to his parents.

"This letter." Paige turned to the grieving parents, who were still in shock. "This is it. We can use this letter to scry for him." Hurrying over to the map, Paige began to scry with the letter over the map of Hell. "Come on, come on..." Cursing softly under her breath, she _willed_ the crystal to find her nephew.

"It's not going to work." Leslie stated, as all eyes turned to the doorway of the attic, "But I think I've got something that will."

* * *

Time ceased to have meaning.

He laughed, hollowly. For someone who was obsessed over changing the future, it was almost like a big cosmic joke.

He sat on the floor of the command room. Huddled, clutching his knees so hard he knew he would leave bruises, he squeezed himself into a tight ball, resting his forehead on his arms, grieving.

_Everyone he had ever cared about was gone. _

He had no idea how long he sat there, on the cold, damp, hard floor. Grieving. Thinking. Wondering. He didn't know _when_ he had jumped back into his timeline. How many days had it been since he had left for the past? Was it months? Or years, even? With not a single soul left to ask, he had no idea how much time had passed.

"Chris."

Startled, he glanced upwards, scrambling to get up from his vulnerable position on the floor.

"Leysa?" Disbelief in his voice, Chris blinked.

"Hello, Chris."

Her voice came from the corner, where shadows covered that side of the room. Slowly, the Valkyrie moved forward, her shadow solidifying out of the darkness, her face still half- hidden.

Chris began to back away slowly. The last time he had seen her, it had been to steal her amulet, so that the Charmed Ones could rescue Leo. And so he had taken the amulet from her, knowing that doing so would send her soul to the afterlife.

"What? Aren't you pleased to see me?" her voice was flat, not a hint of accusation or recrimination to inflect it.

"Leysa..." Chris' voice trailed off.

He opened his mouth to protest his innocence, that he _hadn't_ had a choice.

His mouth snapped closed. That wasn't true. He did have a choice. And he had made that choice when he first ripped the amulet away from the valkyrie, knowing full well what would happen to her. At the time, the realist and the son his mother had raised him to be, had warred within him. The realist had won. He had pushed all thoughts of guilt and self-recrimination to the back of his mind, telling himself that there would be time later to regret his actions and he would gladly pay for them then. And now, confronted by the very soul that he had taken, he couldn't lie to himself any more.

He had learned long ago that sometimes the expedient way was the only way. It didn't mean it was the best or right way, but sometimes, it was the only way.

But it made him feel soiled, old and terribly cynical.

"Myst said you would, if you had to." Leysa stepped completely away from the shadows now, revealing her ghostly form. "I didn't believe her. I thought we had a deal. I thought you had honour."

There was nothing he could say. _Sorry_ just didn't seem good enough.

So he said nothing.

Because he _had_ no defence.

He had lured Leysa to her death, stolen her amulet for her magic, and betrayed the trust of friendship that he had with the valkyries.

Worst of all, he had betrayed every value, every moral fibre in his body that his mother had instilled in him.

He felt..._disgusted_...with himself

Before he could focus his thoughts, more and more ghosts began to materialize in the small confines of the room. Chris recognized many of them as his friends and followers from the Resistance. Leading them, Darryl stepped forward, his eyes burning into Chris'.

"You left us Chris," Darryl's voice was full of blame. "I asked you not to go. I told you not to, that we needed you here. But you left anyway."

"I had to go, Darryl. You didn't understand," Chris pleaded for understanding from one of his oldest and dearest mentors, his honourary uncle in the future. It was together with Darryl, that Chris had used the Resistance as a means to protect the innocent from Wyatt and his army. "I thought I could save the future."

Darryl shook his head. "I told you that it may not work. That you could go back to the past and nothing would change here. Or that you could change the future in worse ways. And by leaving, you deserted the people who counted on you! People who relied on you to keep them safe! Wyatt's army came, and we couldn't hold them off. And now, everyone's dead, and you're telling me I don't understand?"

"I had to try!" Chris protested, vehemently. "It was our best shot, Darryl. I thought I could save everybody by going back to the past! That I could erase our timeline, and this would never have happened."

"Best shot for whom, Chris?"

At the soft voice, Chris whipped his head to the left, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Bianca?"

She stood before him, dressed like she had been the night he had proposed to her. Her long brown hair billowed gently from the chill in the room; her entire spirit seemed to glow with an inner light. She looked so heart-stoppingly beautiful, and Chris' heart ached for what might have been.

"I told you we could find another way. But you wouldn't listen to me. How could you leave me, Chris? Us?" Bianca's ghost moved to stand next to Darryl, as she joined the other ghosts, taking her place against Chris. "How could you let me die?"

The accusations hit Chris like physical blows, and he continued to back away from the advancing ghosts. He held his hands up in a desperate attempt to ward them off, shaking his head, as Bianca, Leysa, Darryl and the other ghosts advanced upon him, their faces full of accusation.

Silent tears began to pour down his face. Because he knew they were right.

In the end, he had gone back to save _his_ family. That was all that had mattered to him. He had been selfish.

He had murdered Leysa, deserted his friends when they needed him most and left Bianca to die a horrible death.

All so that he could go back to the past and return to a future that he didn't even change.

He hated that nothing had changed. He hated that he had killed Leysa. He hated that he had left Bianca and his friends from the Resistance behind. He hated that he had had to lie to his aunts, his dad, his mom.

Most of all, he hated himself.

Because when you got right down to it, it hadn't been that much of a sacrifice for him to go back to the past. Life had been good there, even when his family didn't know who he was. The air had been cleaner, the city was still intact, the sky was blue and the ocean was beautiful. The manor was a home instead of a museum, the sisters were alive, and good was still triumphing over evil.

Guilt set in. And he knew he was guilty because he _had_ enjoyed himself in the past. He had had dinner with his grandpa, bonded with his aunts, had long chats with his mother; he had even reconciled with his father, for crissakes.

"That's right, Chris." Bianca's eyes reproached him. "Did you think I didn't notice the cozy little nest you had built for yourself in the past? You forgot all about us. You forgot all about your responsibilities, your duty, your loyalty."

_She's right. I DID forget. I let myself be distracted by my own selfish desires to spend time with mom, my family...If only I had focused on finding who turned Wyatt, I could have stopped Gideon sooner. I could have stopped Leo from his need for revenge, I could have... _Recrimination and self-doubt pounded through his head. Self-loathing followed quickly on the heels of self-disgust._ I could have saved the world. Instead, I let everyone down. I failed everyone._

Unable to meet their eyes, Chris came up short as he backed himself right up against the wall.

There was nowhere to go, nowhere to turn.

_Pain. Doubt. Guilt. Shame. Despair. My fault... _

It built to a crescendo inside of him, until he felt he was being ripped apart.

"There's only one way to end this Chris." Bianca's hand opened to reveal to him what she had been holding. "There's only one way to atone for your sins. You can be with us now Chris, with me."

And she held out the athame to him.

* * *

"Who the hell are you?" Reacting before any of the rest could, Piper threw her hands up, effectively freezing the stranger.

Except, he didn't freeze.

Quirking his eyebrow at her, Leslie tried to look friendly, "Please don't blow me up?"

Her patience waning, Piper's eyes narrowed, as she considered doing _just_ that, when Phoebe lurched across, yanking Piper's hands down.

"Wait! He's...he's...he's my ghostwriter," Phoebe explained, weakly. "Who happens to be a witch, and was _suppose_ to stay downstairs..." and turned around to give him the evil eye.

"What can I say? I was never very good at taking orders. I'm much better at giving them, though." Leslie said, helpfully.

"Okay, what EXACTLY is going on here?" Piper demanded, pointing her finger at Phoebe. "Cliff notes version, please."

"Ah, he came over to show me a sample of his work to prove he could be my ghostwriter, which Elise wants, because she feels I'm too stressed at work and then I felt his emotions so I think we can trust him but for some weird reason he admires and respects babies and a demon attacked and he saved me and baby Chris from an energy ball because he's a telepath and can channel powers and he's from the future." Phoebe let out a breath. "And then I heard a thud in the attic, so I thought I would check on Paige, and we were so busy scrying for Chris I forgot all about him."

"Did you follow all that?" Paige asked Leo, who shushed her, before Piper could turn on them.

"FIRST, who is taking care of my sons, if we're all up here in the attic? Second, what demon? And third, why is a telepath from the future...no, scratch that, I leave for like 10 minutes and all hell breaks loose???" Piper yelled.

"I think I should probably answer for myself," Leslie responded, "First, your father is downstairs with the kids. And, uh, my name is Leslie, and yes, I am from the future, and yes, I am a telepath."

"You're not related to me too, are you?" Paige wondered.

"No!" came the answer from both Phoebe and Leslie, quite vehemently.

"Okay, okay, no need for surround sound," Paige sniffed.

Phoebe rolled her eyes in response; facing her sisters, she explained, "He told me that he's a friend of Darryl's, in the future. And he _is_ telling the truth. I can feel it."

Leslie nodded. "Darryl asked me to come back to the past to make sure nothing happened to the Charmed Ones. The demon that Phoebe mentioned? It didn't just shimmer in, Piper, it came from a time portal. Someone is trying to change the future for the worse, and Darryl wanted me to stop them."

Piper shot a glance at Phoebe, who nodded her agreement. "He's telling the truth, Piper. A portal out of nowhere just appeared in the living room, and the demon just stepped out of it and attacked me." Holding up her hand before Piper could interrupt, Phoebe continued, "The kids are fine, and yes, I do believe Leslie, because that demon came right at me and totally ignored Wyatt."

"Thank god the demon was after you, and not Wyatt!" Piper relaxed.

"Hey!"

"Oh, you know what I mean," Piper turned her attention back to Leslie, "So you're friends with Darryl?"

"That's right. We meet in about 15 years from now."

"15 years?" Leo mused, "So that would mean you would be alive when Chris and Wyatt are around? How...how are my kids? Are they both...are they both good?" Leo asked, hesitantly.

"You know I can't answer that. It could mess with the future. I've already told you more than I was suppose to..." Leslie apologized, his gaze focused on the floor, as he shifted his weight from side to side. "It's not that I don't want to..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Future consequences," Paige rolled her eyes, exasperated. "It could mess with the future, blah, blah, blah. We should just get a tape recorder in here, and save everyone all the trouble..."

"Aren't you suppose to be scrying for my son? I'd like to get him out of Hell before the next century. We can deal with him later." Piper indicated Leslie with a nod of her head, her patience at an end.

"Geez! I'm on it, already." Paige picked up the crystal again, her hand clutching Chris' letter to his parents. "I don't understand why it's not working..."

"Ahem..."

All eyes turned to Leslie.

"Like I said, I don't think that's going to work and all," Leslie began, "But this might." He reached into his pocket, and carefully withdraw a piece of paper. "I came up here in the first place to see if I could help, after all."

"And how would you know what would work or not?" Paige narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "And why would your piece of paper work and not this one?" and crossed her arms.

"I've done some scrying in my days," Leslie shrugged, "_That_ doesn't 'belong' to Chris as much as 'this' does." Leslie held out the paper to the sisters. Slowly coming forward, Piper took the piece of paper from his hand. "The scrying works better with something that has meaning to the person, right? Well, believe me when I tell you this means more to Chris than anything."

Piper glanced down, realizing it wasn't a piece of paper at all. It was a photo.

Of them.

The entire Halliwell family, taken not long after Chris was born, judging from his size. Victor, Leo, Wyatt, the sisters and baby Chris. Piper couldn't think of the last time they had _all_ posed for a photo together. She looked up from the photo, at Leslie, "How did you get this?"

Leo, Phoebe and Paige gathered around Piper, peering over her shoulder. The photo was yellow with age, and creased. And yet, by their physical appearances in the photo, it certainly appeared that it would be taken in the near future. Leo gently touched the photo with his finger, tracing the outline of Piper, holding baby Chris, and himself, carrying Wyatt. They all looked so happy.

"Chris...gave it to me. Before he left the future to come here. He wanted me to keep it safe for him. He carried it with him everywhere; I think it was the only photo he had left of all of you." Leslie smiled sadly at Piper, "I think...I think it reminded him of happier times."

"Thank you." Piper looked down at the photo again, and then turned to Paige, her eyes bright with tears. "You think you can try again?"

Paige nodded, and carefully took the photo from Piper, least she should damage it any further. It was obviously a treasured item, the creases indicating that the photo had been folded and unfolded many times. She wondered why Chris would give this item to Leslie for safekeeping, and concluded that her nephew had known this man in the future very well indeed. She filed her thought away to question Leslie further on her theory, after they found Chris.

Again, the crystal moved lazily in circles around and around the map. Again, nothing.

Leslie frowned, "That should have worked."

"There could be some kind of interference. Scrying on different planes tends to be a hit and miss," Leo said, absently, as he came to stand next to Paige.

"And you couldn't have told us this sooner?" Phoebe demanded, "Oh, I don't know, like 20 minutes ago?"

"Sorry?" Leo shrugged.

"Maybe...maybe we're going about this all wrong." Paige mused. "I mean, what about that time I traded my soul for Larry's and I was 'down there'? You guys didn't use a scrying crystal to find me, you used a spell..."

"So maybe we should use a spell too," Phoebe finished, excitedly.

Rushing over to the Book of Shadows, Piper began to flip through the book. "We used the Find a Lost Sister Spell...maybe we can change it just enough so that we can use it to bring us to Chris!"

To be continued...


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thank you all again for reviewing! A bit shorter chapter than my usual, but only because this seemed to be the perfect point in which to end the section. As always, just a gentle reminder that I've taken some of the Season 7 spoilers and put my own twist on them.

To all my reviewers: Thank you so much! I realize that reviewing isn't for everyone, so you bring me so much happiness when I see them...it's like getting presents; it's the thought that counts, but it is still exciting to receive some!

Lili20: Yep, he's all confused. Hopefully it will all become clear...

Crimson Amber: Hope Chapter 5 answered most of your questions. I'll address the Darryl and Leslie connection at some point...soon, I hope!

Ilovedrew88: Oops. No Chris in this chappie..sorry. Well, that's not true. Chris just doesn't have any lines in this chapter...but in chapter 7 I can't get him to shut up for some reason!

Sicklesword: I too, am anxious on where this story is going...heehee!

Teal-lover: This chapter should answer your question. I hope!

Freakygirl: Errr...no, Leslie definitely cannot be Phoebe's son, because the way I'm writing it...As Phoebe would say 'ewwww!'

Drewfuller4eva: I know! Took them bloody long enough, eh?

Kel: I'm trying, really I am. I just can't seem to type fast enough.

Melissa-P: Yeah, I'm sort of in denial as well. Thank goodness for fan fics!

Rhia: thank you!! I just hope I can meet everyone's expectations.

* * *

Chapter 6

Paige orbed into the library at Magic School. The place was empty, save for the books neatly shelved on the bookcases, and the cabinets lining the perimeter of the room. Making her way over to one of the cabinets, she searched its shelves, looking for vanquishing potions. Flipping open the messenger bag she had brought with her, she hastily began putting the potion bottles into the bag.

"Paige? What are you doing here?"

Surprised, Paige quickly turned around, her hands behind her back, as she tried not to look guilty. "Hi, Mrs. Winterbourne! I, uh, just thought I'd come by for some research material. You know, vanquishing demons and stuff." Paige laughed weakly.

Mrs. Winterbourne nodded. "Well, if there's anything that I can do to help...just let me know, okay?"

Paige smiled weakly and quickly tried to change the subject, "Sure, of course. Of course I will. Not that there's anything I need you to help me with though. Uh, where is everybody?"

"The Elders are having a huge meeting about the future of Magic School, and until they make their decision, the School has been shut down." Mrs. Winterbourne sighed.

"What? What do you mean? The future of the Magic School?" Paige asked, anxiously.

Mrs. Winterbourne shrugged, "Ever since Gideon...left...the Elders claim that the school isn't safe. Gideon was the driving force behind the school; he was passionate about it. The other Elders, well, they think its run its course."

Paige shook her head vehemently, "No, they can't shut it down. These kids need a safe place where they can learn about magic. Without guidance, they'll just run wild. And where will Wyatt learn to control his powers? And Chris? I can't believe that the Elders think that the School should close."

Odin, one of the Elders, suddenly appeared, "Mrs. Winterbourne, we've adjourned for the day. Could you please assist Zola with tomorrow's materials?" As Mrs. Winterbourne nodded and left, Odin turned to Paige and explained, "Forgive me for eavesdropping, Paige. But I overheard you and Mrs. Winterbourne discussing the School. You see, when Gideon first suggested the school, most of the Elders didn't think it would work."

"Odin, we need to keep the School open. These kids, they need us. It's not about what is or isn't feasible. It's about what's right for the kids." Paige pleaded.

"It was a noble experiment, Paige, but without Gideon, someone whom could both control the kids and be respected by them...it's just not feasible." Odin sighed. "I want to keep this School open just as much as you do."

"Well if you do, then you need to do something about it. Fight for it! You can't just expect other people to fight your battles." Paige lectured.

Odin slowly nodded. "Yes, yes. You're absolutely right, Paige. After all, we do owe it to these kids."

"I am? I mean, yeah, I AM right." Paige nodded assertively.

"I think you should fight for this School. I think you'd make a wonderful teacher. Good luck. I'm sure you'll do a wonderful job running the school," Odin smiled, and then dematerialized before Paige could say another word.

"What? Wait a minute! What just happened?" Paige yelled at the empty space in front of her. "Great. Piper is going to _kill_ me."

* * *

"Any luck yet?" Piper asked Phoebe, looking over her shoulder as Phoebe bit the end of her pen and scribbled some changes, altering the spell.

"I think so..." Phoebe frowned in concentration, reading the spell over again. "It should work...what about Paige? Is she back yet?"

Piper shook her head. They had agreed that before they attempted the spell, that they needed to bring vanquishing potions. Lots and lots of vanquishing potions. So Paige had gone to Magic School to 'borrow' some. Leo had gone with her, taking Leslie, Victor and the kids with him, in hopes that they could leave the kids at Magic School in safety.

At the sound of orbs, Piper looked up expectedly, her look questioning as Leo and Leslie materialized in a swirl of blue lights. "Any problems?"

Leslie shook his head, "Nope, the kids are with Victor in the nursery."

Phoebe glanced up, "And what about Daddy? I thought mortals weren't allowed in Magic School."

Leslie and Leo traded glances, before Leo admitted guiltily, "Well, I might have...ah...forgotten to mention to Mrs. Winterbourne that Victor's a mortal."

"And what's going to happen when she founds out, Leo?" Phoebe demanded.

"Look, we'll worry about that when it happens. Right now, Magic School is the safest place for Dad and the kids." Piper settled the discussion. "Can we please get back to this spell?" Piper grabbed the piece of paper that Phoebe had been scribbling on and made a few adjustments. "Okay, now its perfect."

"Give me that," Phoebe shot her sister an evil glare, snatching the paper back. Looking over Piper's changes, "Oh, yeah, that does seem better."

"Told ya." Piper smirked, "Now where the heck is Paige."

Again, Leslie and Leo traded glances, "She should be along any minute..."

"Is there something you want to tell me?" Piper narrowed her eyes at the two men, "Forget it!" she stopped them, as they both opened their mouths, "If it doesn't have anything to do with saving Chris, than I can wait to hear about it later."

Leo nodded reassuringly, "Nothing bad, I promise. It's just...Paige may have found her new calling."

Leslie had walked over to the two sisters, and was now peering over Phoebe's shoulder, as he read the spell and said doubtfully, "Are you sure that's going to work? Is that going to bring all of us to Chris?"

"Of course it'll work," Phoebe snapped at him, "And what do you mean 'all'? This is a Power of Three spell, buddy."

"I'm coming with you," Leo insisted, as Piper opened her mouth to protest, "That's why I took the kids to Magic School, so that we'd know they'd be safe, Piper. You don't know what you'll be facing. I should come with you. I _need_ to." Piper nodded silently, understanding Leo's need to do something, for she felt exactly the same way.

"And I need to come to," Leslie jumped in, "Like I said, I promised that I would protect you guys, and it's kind of hard if I'm not with you." He pleaded, "Please Phoebe. I might be able to help, you never know. And isn't the most important thing here saving Chris?"

"Alright, alright!" Phoebe threw her arms up in the air, as she rolled her eyes. "You can both come. Why don't we invite Grams while we're at it?"

"Hey, I'm back." Paige orbed in, carrying the large shoulder bag across her chest and another in her hand. Passing over the one she held in her hand to Phoebe, she patted the bag reassuringly. "Okay, I think we've got enough vanquishing potions to take on a small army. Or at least make a small dent."

"Everything okay?" Piper asked, suspiciously.

"Everything's just peachy!" Paige replied, a little too brightly.

Giving her sister a searching glance, Piper decided to ignore it for now. "Good. Then let's get this show on the road." Piper nodded to her sisters, anxious to find Chris.

"Okay, here's the spell." Phoebe came around from the table, and reached for Piper's hand as Paige grasped the other. Leo and Leslie quickly moved to stand behind them, placing a hand on each of Piper's shoulders, as they hoped the contact would allow them to be included in the spell with the sisters. Holding the paper aloft so that her sisters could read the spell with her, Phoebe began to chant, and her sisters quickly followed suit.

_Blood to blood, I summon thee.  
Blood to blood, return to me.  
_

_Lead us back from whence this came  
Help us help Chris' pain_

And the group dissolved in a swirl of golden lights.

* * *

Opening one eye cautiously, Paige took in her surroundings. "Well, this isn't what I was expecting..."

"And just what were you expecting?" Piper looked at Paige in question.

"I don't know...fire, hot oil, tropical weather..." Paige shrugged, looking at the empty, dark cave they were currently in. "Souls...it's downright chilly in here. Are we sure we're in the right place?"

"Oh my god..." was all Phoebe could say, her eyes fixated on the figure on the opposite end of the cave.

It was Chris.

Spying her son, Piper gave out a cry of dismay.

He was pinned against the wall of the cave. His head lay listlessly on his chest, his body limp; the sword through his gut keeping him from collapsing to the ground.

Rushing to his side, Piper touched Chris' forehead, hesitantly; there was no response. "Chris, sweetie?"

Not far behind her, Leo reached down to grasp the sword to pull it out, eliciting an electric shock that promptly tossed him across the room. "What the..?"

As Phoebe checked to see Leo was okay, Paige tried to call the sword, "Leo, stand by to heal. Sword!"

The sword remained embedded.

"Chris? Chris?" Piper's voice rose, as she tried to wake her son, "Why isn't he responding?"

Leo shook his head, still sitting on the ground where the blast had thrown him, dazed. "I don't know. It's like...it's like he can't hear us or something."

Suddenly, a demon shimmered in, "What are you doing here?" he demanded. "Get away from him, he's mine!" The demon threw a fireball at the sisters; Paige called for the fireball, aiming it harmlessly into the side of the cave while Piper froze the demon.

Slowly, she unfroze him, "No, he's MY son, and if he belongs to anyone, it's me!" Piper glared at the demon. "Don't try anything or I'll freeze you again. Now tell me what's wrong with him, now!"

Seeing Phoebe and Paige both hold a vanquishing potion aloft each, the demon swallowed, with an audible gulp, "I, uh, work for the big guy down here...Nothing personal, you know. Your, ah, son is one of my charges. Basically, I tap into his mind and let him create his own 'Hell.' Much better than anything I could ever actually _do_ to him. Humans are interesting, that way." The demon shrugged apathetically, "The sword keeps him pinned to the wall and helps feed his imagination. His worst nightmare come to life, all in his own mind, if you like."

"Take it out. Now." Leo commanded, as he slowly got to his feet and moved threateningly towards the demon.

Throwing up his hands in protest, the demon babbled, "I can't! I didn't design these things. Basically, once it goes in, it doesn't come out. Except for the, ah, victim could pull it out themselves, assuming they ever snapped out of it. Haven't seen it happen yet, and I've been here for eternity."

"That is just sick. Sick and twisted." Paige glared at the demon. "Phoebe? What do you think?"

Phoebe shook her head. "I can't read him...he's a demon...too much other...stuff..."

Piper threw her hands up again, effectively freezing the demon, "Fine. Than we keep him like _that_ until we figure out how to rescue Chris."

Leslie stepped forward, "Let me try. I could try to contact him telepathically." At Piper's nod, Leslie focused his eyes on Chris, intent on contacting the young man.

Without warning, suddenly Leslie slumped forward, and almost fell to the floor if it wasn't for Leo's quick reflexes. Catching the telepath, Leo gently laid Leslie on the ground, turning him over onto his back. The girls gasped; his eyes were dazed, his expression vacant.

"Leo, what's wrong with him?" Phoebe gasped.

Leo shook his head, "I'm not sure, but I think when Leslie was trying to reach Chris, he may have pulled Leslie in with him..."

"Pulled him where? What are you talking about?" Paige questioned Leo, impatiently.

"Telepaths normally just 'transmit' their thoughts, but to read someone else's mind, you have to _touch_ their mind...I think when Leslie tried to touch Chris' mind..." Leo trailed off.

"Chris pulled Leslie into this mind?" Piper finished, questioningly. At Leo's shrug, Piper sighed. "I guess that's as good an explanation as we're going to get. Phoebe, do you think you can reach Chris with your power of empathy?"

"Well, I can try...I can feel...guilt, and self-disgust...it's like..." Phoebe edged closer to her nephew, as she strove to reach him with her mind.

She was dragged into a whirling maelstrom of guilt, self-doubt and pain. Lost in the sea of emotions, she felt like she was being tossed about, like a ship in a storm. There was nothing to hold on to.

_Pain. Doubt. Guilt. Shame. Despair. My fault..._ Suicidal despair and killing rage emanated all from Chris, the shock of the emotions literally sending Phoebe to her knees. In panic, Phoebe yanked herself out from her trance, physically taking a step back from her nephew to remove herself from his range. "God..."

"What? What is it? What happened?" Piper asked, anxiously, as she helped her sister up.

"It was like being in a storm, and...there was so much _guilt _and _pain_, Piper. God, there was so much _guilt_." Phoebe shook her head, trying to clear it. "I don't think I can reach Chris, but I think I felt Leslie...I'm going back in..."

"If it looks like it's too much Phoebe, just get yourself out of there, and we'll figure something else out." Paige told her sister. Nodding, Phoebe took a deep breath, and then hesitantly, took a step forward.

Piper and Leo exchanged a worried glance, afraid for both Phoebe and Chris.

Again, Phoebe felt herself pulled in the storm of emotions emanating from Chris. Caught within the emotional whirlpool, Phoebe let herself be pulled along until she could feel Leslie, and then 'reached' for him and _pulled_.

With a convulsive lurch, Phoebe broke contact, collapsing onto the ground next to Leslie.

"What happened?" Leslie groaned, from his position on the ground.

"When you tried to make contact with Chris, I think he pulled you in –," Leo knelt beside both Phoebe and Leslie. "You guys okay?"

Letting out a sigh of relief at their affirmative nods, Piper looked at Phoebe, "So what do we do now? Phoebe, you can reach him, can't you?"

"I tried, Piper. It's...He's...the emotions are too strong. It's like he's destroying himself with his own negative emotions. God." Phoebe tried to shake off the effects. "There's just so much pain...he feels so guilty...like he failed everyone...I don't think I can reach him, Piper."

"We've got to do something!" Piper's voice rose. "I'm not leaving him like this! I'm not! I won't!"

Leo placed a hand on Piper's arm, trying to calm her down. She shrugged it off, stepping away from him, not wanting to be comforted. "Leo, we have to save him."

Leo nodded and then turned back to Phoebe. "You said he's being consumed by his own emotions, right? The sword must be feeding those emotions, something only he can see, in his mind. How about a mind-link spell?"

The three sisters looked at each other. "That could work..." Paige said, nodding slowly.

"It would let us see what Chris is seeing, maybe even take us to his mind...I think," Phoebe agreed, confused.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Piper held out each of her hands to her sisters, and the three linked their hands.

"I'll keep watch here," Leslie indicated himself and motioned to Leo, "Go, he needs you."

Nodding his thanks, Leo took his place next to Piper, as Phoebe made room for him. The four clasped their hands together.

Piper began to chant and her sisters quickly joined in.

_Life to life and mind to mind  
Our spirits now will intertwine  
We meld our souls and journey to  
The one whose thoughts we wish we knew_

* * *

"Uh, where are we?"

"I think...I think we're in the future. Or at least, Chris' memories of the future..." Leo responded, looking around.

Phoebe shivered; the future felt cancerous, its slow death palpable in the air. The sky was grey, the land muddy, and ocean a sickening green. As the sisters began to move forward, taking in their surroundings, realization sank in.

"Oh my God. We're in San Francisco." Paige gasped, horrified. The downtown core was but a memory; buildings were ruined, still smoking from fires. As Leo and the sisters continued their way blindly down the street, they passed a group of people gathered around a small drum, warming themselves by its fire. Their threadbare, shabby clothes were barely hanging onto their thin frames, and their faces were blank and bleak.

"This can't be the future. It just can't." Piper muttered. "Is this really Chris' memories? Or is this just what he thinks will happen?" Piper asked her sisters, stunned.

"And more importantly, how do we find Chris in this place?" Paige asked. "After all, this is his mind. He's got to be around here somewhere, right?"

Waving her hands, Phoebe shushed Paige. "Wait, I think...I sense..._something_. Yes – yes, I've got him! I can _feel_ Chris." The thread of Chris' sending was faint, but unmistakable to Phoebe; the 'thread' pulsed with guilt and despair. The same self-guilt and despair she had felt earlier. She caught hold of the 'thread', and began running after it, leaving Leo and her sisters to follow in her wake.

Running into an abandoned building, she ignored her sisters' shouts for caution and continued after the 'thread'. The emotions were getting stronger, and stronger, and more urgent. She raced down the darkened corridors, turning this way and that, ignoring her sisters' pleas for her to wait up.

Paige and Piper chased after Phoebe, hot on her heels, with Leo bringing up the rear. All attempts to get Phoebe to slow down were ignored, so they did the next best thing, which was following her. The long, winding tunnels were confusing, and one wrong turn, they could lose Phoebe in their sights.

They stopped short, nearly running into Phoebe as she abruptly stopped in front of a collapsed portion of the tunnel. She turned to look at her sisters, her eyes wild. "He's in there! I can feel him, Piper! We need to get in there!"

Paige and Piper looked at each other, and then back at the collapsed section of the tunnel. "I could try blowing it up?" Piper quirked her eyebrow at Paige, who, nodding her agreement, yanked Phoebe out of the way.

Piper stepped up to the rocks, and concentrated. After all, she didn't want to bring the entire tunnel down around them. Obviously, a controlled blast was what she wanted.

BOOM!

With a flick of her hands, a huge explosion echoed through the tunnels, following by a resounding thud. But when the dust settled, the tunnel was still blocked. In fact, it looked exactly like it had before, without one rock altered.

"Okay, did anyone else just hear me blow that up? Why is it still there? And why did nothing explode?" Piper asked, annoyed. About to flick her wrists again, she stopped as Paige grabbed one of her hands. "Paige? What's going on?"

"I think you DID blow it up, Piper." Ignoring Piper's puzzled look, Paige slowly moved forward, her foot passing through a rock lying on the ground in front of them.

"It's an illusion!" Leo realized.

Before Phoebe could take off running again, Paige quickly grasped her sister's hand. "Okay, no more running. We have to be careful."

And together, Leo and the sisters passed through the illusion.

To be continued....


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! I will respond to them individually in the next chapter, as I wanted to get this chapter up ASAP. Arm and wrist hurts...too much typing with bad posture, I guess. Okay, finally, a scene where all major characters finally interact! Some plot holes that you could drive a truck through, so I'll ask you to suspend your disbelief for just a bit.

Enjoy!

Chapter 7

Chris looked in bewilderment, staring at the athame in Bianca's hand. "I don't understand."

"Look around you, Chris. The future is lost. Everything and everyone you've ever known, cared about, are gone. The Resistance has been wiped off the face of the earth, and good magic has been eliminated." Bianca's steady gaze held his. "There's nothing here for you, Chris."

He pulled his gaze away from Bianca's, searching the eyes of everyone in front of him. Bianca, Darryl, his friends...they were his family in the future. Could he bear to be alone in this world, likely living hand to mouth, where demons ruled the earth?

And in that moment, he felt himself give up.

He wanted it to end. All the pain, the despair... the guilt.

Shaking, his hand hesitantly reached towards Bianca's. Her gaze never left his, and he could feel the comfort and warmth in her eyes as she held out the athame to him. He felt his fingers brush the hilt of the dagger, and glanced down at their hands. Hers, semi-transparent; his, solid and pulsing with life.

He clenched his hand into a fist and looked up, "I'm sorry."

"What are you doing, Chris?" Bianca's voice rose in confusion.

"I'm sorry. I can't. I can't give up the fight. Even if it's just me. I don't know how I'm going to keep going in this world, but I've made my choices. I deserve this. I deserve to be here, and suffer the consequences from my actions." Chris stepped back, as he addressed all the ghosts in front of him, with a pointed look at the athame, still in Bianca's hand. "Don't you see? If I did _that_, it would be the easy way. Being here, living _this_. This is...this is where I belong."

"Are you crazy?"

"Mom?!?" Chris turned towards the doorway. His family from the past was staring at him, aghast. "What are you doing here?"

Ignoring his question, Piper continued, "Chris, you don't deserve this. You never did. Honey, you did the best you could." Coming forward, she grasped her son's hands in hers. "And besides, none of this is even real."

At Chris' startled glance, Leo stepped up next to Piper, and explained softly, "Chris, this...this place isn't real. It's all in your mind. We've come to take you home, son."

Over his parents' shoulders, Chris could see his aunts nod frantically in agreement. "I don't...I don't understand. None of this is real? But this is the future, my future...it all seems so real..."

Bianca moved to Chris' side, "Don't listen to them, Chris. It's a trap. You think this isn't real just because demons rule the earth, and the Resistance is gone? Come on, Chris! If this was in your mind, wouldn't we all be alive? Wouldn't you have created a world where you had changed the future? Isn't that what you always wanted?"

"Shut up!" Piper glared at Bianca, then turned her attention back to her son, "Chris, look at me. _Look_ at me! This isn't real! _She isn't real_. But I'm real, and Leo is. We're here to take you home." Tears filled Piper's eyes as she willed Chris to believe in her. "This place...you don't belong here."

"I know how this must sound, but...it feels real, Mom. It feels...like I should be here," Chris said softly.

As Bianca moved to assert herself again, Phoebe and Paige stepped up next to Piper and Leo. Flashing the vanquishing potions, Paige warned, "We may not be able to vanquish you, but I'm pretty sure these still pack a wallop."

Bianca took a step back, watching silently with the rest of the ghosts as Chris struggled to understand. Phoebe shot a glance at Paige, asking her "Okay, but if she and them are all figments of Chris' mind, I don't think these potions would work on them."

"Shhhh!" Paige hushed Phoebe, crossly. "_She_ doesn't know that."

"Don't you mean him?" Phoebe pointed at Chris.

"Phoebe!" As Piper and Paige rounded on her, before the conversation could go off track any more.

Ignoring the sisters, Leo focused on his son. "Chris, what's the last thing you remember?" Leo prompted, trying to draw Chris' attention away from the bickering sisters.

"I remember...I remember being stabbed...by Gideon..." Chris looked to Leo for confirmation. At Leo's slow nod, Chris searched his memories, "And the next thing I remember, I was here, back in my own timeline."

"But this isn't your timeline, Chris. We stopped Gideon. This...this place isn't real. It's a product of your imagination. Your worst nightmare come true." Leo explained gently.

"But why would I imagine this? I don't understand," Chris' voice rang with disbelief. "Bianca's right. I never wanted this...this is what I've been working to change."

Piper traded a glance with Leo, wondering how much they should explain. "This isn't about what you wanted, Chris. It's about suffering. Your suffering. You...you're in Hell, right now. The Elders, they...I stopped Gideon. The Elders wanted to...punish me. You wouldn't let them. You took my place, Chris...told them you would take my punishment. And now...you're trapped in your own private Hell." Leo touched his son's arm in comfort. "You don't belong here."

Chris let go of Piper's hands, and stepped away from his parents, "So you're telling me, that I traded places with Leo, got sent to Hell, and all this," Chris waved his hands to indicate the area around him, "is my brain imagining what would be my worst nightmare come true?"

"It's true, Chris." Paige reassured her nephew, correctly perceiving the skeptical look he gave them.

"Don't listen to them, Chris." Again, Bianca spoke to him. "Life isn't safe and happiness 24/7. It's this. It's this place. They're trying to trick you, to take you away from here, from us, from _me_. You do belong here. You know you do."

"Okay, that's it, Chris' brain or not, I'm kicking her sorry ass." Phoebe began to storm over, barely brought up short by Paige's restraining hand on her arm.

"Maybe this is all just my imagination. But she's right, you know." Chris looked at his parents, "I do belong here. With my friends... I deserve this. I deserve to suffer. I sacrificed so many when I decided to leave my time, friends who trusted me to lead them, protect them. You were right about the amulet. I sacrificed Leysa. I _killed_ her." He looked away from his parents, in shame. "I can't go back. I have to make amends."

Piper opened her mouth in protest, but Chris quickly cut her off, "You don't understand, Mom. You can't even fathom what I've done. You couldn't even begin to understand." He trailed off, unable to look his mother in the eye.

"No, she doesn't. But I do. I understand what you're feeling, Chris. What you're thinking." Leo smiled, sadly, as Chris' gaze jerked up to meet his. "Because I killed Gideon."

Reaching out to his son, Leo thought of his own recent desire for revenge, driven by self-guilt.

"This place...this place was created by your mind because you wanted to punish yourself." Leo searched for the words to make his son understand. "Yes, you killed Leysa. Yes, you feel guilty. It's just a feeling, an emotion. You're allowed that, Chris. You don't have to be perfect."

"It's just...when I...with Leysa, I knew I was right, then. I told myself it was for the greater good. Just like Gideon justified his actions," Chris said, bitterly. "I don't...I don't have that any more. I just...I just don't know what's right any more."

Leo nodded. "I told myself the same thing. That by killing Gideon, I was doing what had to be done for the greater good, to once again bring balance to the universe. That it had to be done. But afterwards, when I had time to think about what I had done...what I had committed..."

Father and son stared into each other's eyes, both tormented with guilt and self-recrimination.

"It's not the same," Chris whispered. "What you did, you did in anger. What I did...what I did was nothing short of cold blooded murder."

"Yes, what I did was in anger. But how I did it?" Leo looked down, unable to meet his son's eyes. "I...I should have done it quickly...cleanly. Instead, I...I almost...I almost didn't want it to end. I wanted him to suffer. Like I suffered, when I realized I had failed you." Leo raised his eyes to meet Chris'. "At least you didn't take any pleasure in it. I...I wanted him to feel pain, to feel a little bit of what I was feeling when I lost you," Leo closed his eyes. "And that is even worst than what you did." Leo whispered, ashamed.

Chris stared at his father, feeling responsible for the burden of guilt that had haunted Leo because of his death. "Dad...you did what you had to do..."

Leo shook his head, "Listen to me, Chris. You're looking into your heart right now, and you think you are the greatest of monsters. I know you're certain that things can never be the same again. You're sickened by your actions, disgusted even." Leo paused, choosing his words carefully, "That's a good thing; it means you're a sane, honourable human being...And that's not always easy. Chris...let it go and learn from it or it will eat you up inside. Believe me."

Piper spoke softly, to both of them, "You both need to let it go. What was done was done. I'm not saying that what either of you did was right. But you both have let your guilt consume you to the point where nothing else matters. Leo, I haven't seen you for almost two months, you've been so intent on hunting down Barbas. And Chris, your guilt keeps you trapped here, away from the outside world where you're needed, and loved. So many people are counting on you both; love you both. You _both_ have to forgive yourselves." Piper grasped each of their hands in her own. "Please. You have to let go."

"And if I can't?" Chris asked, softly, his eyes sad. "If I can't forgive myself? If I can't let go of my guilt?"

"Then you really will have let us down. Because we're counting on you, sweetie. Your father is counting on you. He needs to forgive himself, and he can't do that until he saves you. So let him save you. Please. Let it go, Chris." Piper pleaded with her son, clasping his hands tightly in her own, bringing them up to her heart.

And he let go.

One by one, the ghosts began to disappear, leaving the girls staring at Leo and Chris.

"Well, that was kind of anti-climatic," Paige commented, abet with a touch of sarcasm.

"Paige!" Phoebe admonished her sister, and she bounded forward like a newborn puppy to hug her nephew, practically knocking him over with her enthusiasm. "Oh, I'm so happy to see you."

Before Chris could get a word out, Paige came forward, however, a bit more sedately, and threw her arms around her nephew as well. "I'm glad you're okay."

Throwing his parents a pleading look, Piper correctly interpreted Chris' silent plea for help and moved forward to disengage her sisters from her son. "Okay, enough. I think you're suffocating the poor kid." Wiping tears of happiness from her face, she pushed her sisters out of the way, to gentle brush his hair from his eyes. "I've missed you, my baby boy." Piper said softly.

"I've missed you too, Mom." Chris replied, just as softly. "And just for the record, thanks for the get out of jail free card." Chris nodded his thanks to his family, as Leo squeezed his shoulder in comfort.

"Well, technically, we're not out of the woods yet," Paige put in. "We're still trapped in your mind, and we need to get out of here. We're got a spell to break the mind link, but how is Chris going to leave this place?"

Chris smiled. "I think it's merely a matter of me wanting to leave," Turning to his mother, "You guys should go. I'll see you in a moment."

"Are you sure?" Piper questioned, concerned. What if it didn't work and Chris remained in his catatonic state?

"Mom, I'm sure." Chris reassured her, "Besides, you can always do another mind link spell if it doesn't work and I'm still stuck here, right?"

"Piper, he's right. We need to be there when he wakes up..." Paige piped up. "Okay, let's do this." She stretched her arms out to her sisters, who each took one, and Leo took Piper's hand in his.

_Life from life and mind from mind  
Our spirits now will disentwine  
We part our souls and journey home  
To let our thoughts be on their own_

* * *

"I hope they're okay in there." Leslie muttered, worriedly. "They've just got to find a way to reach him. They just have to."

Leslie stared at the sisters and Leo who were in front of him, still holding hands, their expressions blank, their eyes closed. Pacing back and forth, Leslie sighed in frustration, running his hands through his hair as he tried to be patient. He had never been very good at waiting, especially when he knew he was running out of time. _Every moment wasted here could cost the future, could cost us_.

Leslie tried to remind himself that all good things happened to those who waited; he glanced at the Halliwell family again, but they showed no signs of awakening yet. _What could be taking them so long? Just go in there and say hello and get him back out here, damn it!_

The shadows on the cave flickered, and he jumped. Searching with his eyes, Leslie stood stock still, listening with all his senses. When he didn't detect any sight, sounds, smells or thoughts, he relaxed just a bit, letting out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

Every second in this plane could mean danger, and Leslie wasn't all that sure he would be able to handle everything that could come their way. Power called to power, and he was sure there were demons that could _feel_ the presence of the Charmed Ones in this plane.

Breathing deeply, Leslie focused on clearing his mind and calming himself. Part of his impatience stemmed from fatigue. When he had told Phoebe that he kept himself shielded from the intrusion of other people's thoughts, as well as intruding theirs, he had not mentioned that it took effort. As he had grown into his powers, so had his range of picking up thoughts. He was used to the fatigue experienced from his shielding; after all, he had to keep himself shielded all the time or he would go crazy from the intrusion of thoughts. However, that was when he hadn't gone without sleep for..._I wonder how long it's been?_, he mused. _Screws with my sense of time. Damn time travel. I never understood it._

Studying the Halliwell family from beneath his eyelashes, he gaze passed over Leo, Piper and Paige before it lingered on Phoebe. He remembered when Chris had given him the photo of his family for safekeeping; Leslie had stared at that photo for hours and had pulled it out to study every time he had had a moment of privacy, which were few and far between in his timeline. There was something about that photo that had drawn him, something in Phoebe's eyes that had spoken to him. He was still embarrassed by his reaction to her back at the manor; like some starry eyed teenager who was meeting his first pin up. Snorting at his fancifulness, Leslie turned his attention to the youngest Halliwell, Chris.

_It's all so damned unfair,_ he thought. _I know life isn't fair, but..._Life seemed doubly unfair for Chris. Leslie studied the young man who played such a pivotal role in Leslie's time. He remembered when Darryl had first introduced him to Chris. He had scoffed at the sight of the skinny kid, who looked, on first sight, barely old enough to drink, let alone stand against the most powerful being in the world. Leslie had dismissed Chris with a single glance, and the only reason Leslie hadn't laughed out loud was out of respect for his friend. Darryl was the reason Leslie had joined the Resistance; they had been partners before...he trusted him with his life. This kid? With the slouching shoulders, quiet personality and soft voice? Leslie didn't think he could find his way out of a paper bag, let alone lead thousands of people against Wyatt and his army of demons.

But then Leslie had gotten to know Chris. Being one of the few telepaths, especially one with his range, made Leslie invaluable to the cause. Darryl had asked him, no, _assigned_ him, to work with Chris, and in the weeks that followed, he came to understand how this shy, gawky kid had became leader of the Resistance.

He was kind, loyal, incredibly intelligent and truly cared for people. As part of Leslie's assignment, he had followed Chris everywhere, and Leslie had been amazed at the number of people whose names Chris knew. No easy feat when there were several thousand people living in the base. No matter how small the issue, or how young the person, Chris made time for those who needed him most. He realized that Chris tried, every day, to put others first, and himself last. Leslie came to understand the burden of responsibility that Chris bravely bore, never complaining, never wavering.

Darryl might run the day-to-day operations, but ultimately, the Resistance looked to its young leader for guidance. Chris' familiarity with his brother helped them exploit Wyatt's weaknesses and Chris' knowledge of spells from being the son of a Charmed One made his input invaluable. From sun up to sun down, Chris was on the go; his input was required on everything from strategy meetings to scouting forays to covert operations. But more than that, he was respected, and looked up to by every member of the Resistance. Chris did not take this duty lightly. Long after Leslie had retired for the night, Chris would still be in the command room, planning, plotting, preparing, into the wee hours of the morning.

But most of all, Leslie had realized that people followed Chris because they trusted him. They trusted him to take care of them, to protect them and to save them. A heavy burden, indeed. Not a burden that Leslie knew many could carry and guessing Chris was at least ten years his junior, certainly not a burden a kid barely out of high school ever should.

But Chris did. Every day.

_Way too deep thinking for someone who hasn't had their coffee yet_, he thought, ruefully. Sighing again, Leslie continued his pacing, his hands clasped tightly behind his back.

* * *

It seemed like forever came and went before the sisters and Leo began to glow, indicating their return.

All four came awake at once, gasping for breath like they were drowning for air.

"What happened? Did you guys reach Chris? Why isn't he awake?" Leslie asked, anxiously.

"Whoa there partner," Phoebe stumbled, exhausted and dizzy from their little mind trip.

Leslie jumped forward to steady her, his gaze worried, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Just peachy." Paige rolled her eyes, noticing that nobody came to _her_ rescue. "And yes, we did reach Chris...Why isn't he awake yet?"

Leo and Piper looked at each other nervously, as Leo sought to reassure his wife, "Chris said if he didn't come out of it on his own, we could use the mind link spell again...just give him a minute, Piper."

"I'm not waiting. I'm going back in---"Piper broke off, as suddenly, Chris' eyes shot open as he jerked out of his catatonic state.

Looking down, he saw the cause of his breathing troubles, and before his family could react, Chris gripped the hilt of the sword, and _pulled_. He steeled himself, his teeth gnashing the side of his mouth in pain as he pulled it completely free. The sword clattered to the floor next to him, as Chris slid slowly down the wall he had been pinned against. His parents moved forward, as Paige kicked the sword away, catching him by his arms to help him slide down into a sitting position. Leo's hands were already glowing as he moved them to heal Chris, when he stopped.

There was nothing to heal.

"What--?" Piper voiced her confusion to Leo, as she quickly ran her hands over Chris' side, assuring herself that there was no injury to her son.

Before Leo could put his thoughts into words, he turned at the sound of his name on Paige's lips. "What is it, Paige?"

Wordlessly, Paige pointed at the sword she had kicked away, and the group watched as it faded away. "I know I've been saying this a lot...but what the hell just happened?"

Chris groaned. "Who cares? I'm just glad it's not in me anymore." Gritting his teeth, Chris' struggled to his feet with the support of his parents on each of his side. As he looked up, his gaze landed on Leslie, finally noticing the other man standing next to Phoebe, protectively. "What the ---? Les? What are you doing here?!?"

* * *

"You two know each other?" Phoebe gaped, as she stared at Leslie, and then her nephew and then back at Leslie.

"I told you. I'm a friend of Darryl's. He's, ah, introduced me to Chris before, or is it later?" Leslie tried to explain.

"Enough with the time travel speak," Paige rolled her eyes. "Could someone just please tell me what is going on?"

"He says that Darryl sent him back. To protect us." Phoebe explained, her eyes never leaving Leslie's. "He told us he's a telepath."

"Uh, yeah, that's right," Chris struggled to stand on his own, so as not to lean on his parents, his hand looking for purchase on the wall to support him. _And could you please tell me what you're REALLY doing here? _Chris directed his thought at Leslie.

Slightly wincing at the forceful tone of Chris' thought, Leslie lowered his shields to read Chris' question and directed his response back to him._ Darryl sent me back to protect baby you and to tell you that we need you back in the future. Wyatt's armies are coming and Darryl doesn't know how long the Resistance can last._

"Hello! We're not stupid!" Piper stamped her foot, frustratedly, as everyone turned to her in surprise. "I can tell you're..._telepathing_...or whatever you call it!" She glared at her son, who shrugged sheepishly.

"We call it mind speaking..." Leslie offered, quickly trailing off, as Piper directed her annoyance at him. "Uh, sorry?" _I'll bring you up to speed later, when we're alone. I promise._

Chris nodded, imperceptibly.

"Well, _whatever_ you call it, I agree with Piper. It's rude." Phoebe stated.

"Look, I don't mean to interrupt this _fascinating_ discussion, but could we please get out of here? This place gives me the willies." Paige prodded, none too gently.

"She's right. Leo can you orb us all back to the manor?" Piper wondered, "I mean, we had to use a spell to get here."

"You used a spell because I couldn't sense Chris. But I can certainly orb us all back, so we can continue our discussion there." Leo confirmed.

"Wait!" Chris shouted, or tried to, still weak from his experiences. He struggled to make himself heard, "I'm not going back to the manor with you. _I can't._"

"What?!?"

To be continued....


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Hi everyone! I have to humbly beg everyone's apologies, as it was pointed out that while I noted in my author's notes, I didn't mention in the summary that I like to borrow the spoilers posted for season 7 and integrate some of the threads into my story. Sooooo...you'll notice that I've updated the summary to include this...I am sooooo sorry if I ruined the season premiere for any of you. This was definitely my bad, and I hope that you can forgive me **:-(**

Stony Angel: Hmmmm, hope this chapter answers some of your questions...

Drewfuller4eva and Ilovedrew88: Yay! They saved Chris! Or did they? Bwahahaha (evil laugh)

rhia: your welcome!

Sailorwind: thank you for your thoughtful questions and comments. After I read them, I realized that I completely missed those aspects. So...it took me a little longer to write this chapter because I ended up re-writing it based on your insightfulness. So please...keep them coming!

Jackie: It's funny. Chris has been my favourite character in season 6, and inspired me to start this fan fic. And then I write a whole chappie without him! How's that for showing fan adoration?

StoryDiva: Thank you! I'm glad you thought the story is true to Chris' character, as it's been hard to write him as I think he would have been if he was still on the series. I agree, he's way too cute to waste away down there...

Melissa-p: I'm trying to update ASAP. Really I am. Unfortunately, carpel tunnel syndrome keeps getting in the way.

* * *

Chapter 8

"What?!?"

Chris winced, as the yell came from several directions, reverberating throughout the cave.

"Explain yourself. Now, mister!" Piper glared at her son. She had had enough of this self-martyr business!

"Uh, I don't know if you guys haven't noticed," Chris' voice was biting with sarcasm, "But I don't...well, I think I'm a spirit or ghost or...or something."

Dumbfounded, the Halliwell family looked amongst each other. They had totally forgotten that Chris was a ghost now. After all, he was dead, wasn't he?

"But you don't _look _like a spirit..." Phoebe sputtered. "I mean, you feel solid and everything."

Paige scratched her head in confusion, "I think...I think he might be _real_ in this plane. You know? Kind of like that time we summoned Larry...remember? He was all translucent and stuff at the Manor, but in the underworld, he was as solid as you and me."

Chris nodded vigorously, "Not that I'm an expert or anything, but what if I go back to the Manor with you guys and what if me being in the same place with mini-me messes me, I mean, the baby, up? I just don't want to take any unnecessary chances."

"What can we do?" Piper asked, open to any suggestions. "We can't just stay here. And _no_, you cannot stay here either." Giving Chris a stern look, he snapped his mouth closed.

"I think we should go back to the Manor and figure all this out," Leslie eyed their surroundings nervously. "Maybe the Book of Shadows could help."

"Yeah, they could look under the spell 'to make a real boy'," Chris grumbled, sarcastically.

Leo's eyes brightened, "You know, Chris, that isn't a bad idea. After all, you are real in this plane. Maybe we just need to figure out someway to anchor you to the mortal plane."

"Can we even do that? I mean, bring him back to life? Isn't that against the laws of nature? And what about his body?" Phoebe wondered.

"Well, I mean Chris is a special case." Paige began to nod slowly, the wheels slowly turning in her mind, as she spoke excitedly, "I think I need to do some more research, but Leo might be onto something. Chris' body disappeared because his timeline ceased to exist, right? So...technically, Chris doesn't have a body right now, which we could argue means he's not dead, because you need a body to _be_ dead, get it? Maybe we _can_ 'anchor' him to the mortal plane again, and make him corporeal."

"And then what? What happens if, and that's a BIG if, we make him 'corporeal'? What happens then?" Piper asked, worriedly.

"Let's cross that bridge when we get there, okay?" Paige tried to instill some confidence in her sister. "One magical crisis at a time."

"Hello! You guys are talking about me like I'm not even here! I think I agree with Phoebe...I'm not so sure I buy Paige's argument." Chris looked at Piper, his eyes begging her to understand. "This is my decision, mom. And I'm not convinced that I shouldn't be dead."

Piper's eyes flashed with anger. "You do not get to make this decision, young man. I am STILL your mother, and you will listen to me! Given your recent track record of decision-making, I will make all decisions concerning you as of right now. And right now, we're going to go back to the Manor to figure things out."

"I'm sorry, mom but I am not going to anywhere near mini-me. If I'm going anywhere, it's back to the future." Chris stated adamantly.

Phoebe snorted.

Paige rolled her eyes, "Do I really want to know?"

Phoebe whispered to Paige, behind her hand, hoping that Piper wouldn't hear her, or would chose to ignore her, "Back to the future? You know, like the movie? Get it?"

Paige rolled her eyes again.

"One, you, I mean baby you, is at Magic School, and not the Manor. Two, Phoebe and I have traveled outside our time before and encountered our past or future selves, and _nothing_ happened." Piper's tone brooked no argument as she ignored the byplay between her sisters, her attention completely focused on Chris. "Look, nothing is going to get solved here. I agree with Leslie, we should go back to the Manor and regroup."

"Well, uhm, if you don't count that little us got our powers, because only one of us at the same time could have them," Phoebe volunteered helpfully, before turning to Paige, "Did that make any sense at all?"

"Scarily enough, it did." Paige replied, shaking her head.

"Piper's right, Chris." Leo nodded solemnly at his son, again ignoring the other two sisters. "I think you'll be okay at the Manor. Besides Piper and I would never put the baby, er, you, in harm's way. Either of you." Leo quickly amended.

"And what about the Elders? If I leave, they'll force you to stay," Chris shook his head, wearily, at his father. "I can't let that happen. Wyatt needs you."

Piper traded glances with Leo, before she spoke. "Actually, the Elders don't know about this. And I definitely am not going to be the one to tell them. Chris, remember the crystals we used to hide your presence from the Scabber demons in the attic? They're still there, and I think if we orb directly back into the attic, it should still keep you 'hidden'. Just until we can figure out what to do."

Chris opened his mouth to disagree, when Leslie cut him off, "Look, I think we've established that you can't harm the baby, so let's get the hell out of here, okay? I'm with Paige, this place gives me the willies."

Phoebe chuckled.

Piper stared at her sister, "And just what is so funny?"

"He said let's get the hell out of here. Get it? Hell?" Phoebe quickly swallowed her chuckles, at Piper's icy stare. "Errr, never mind."

"What is with you today?" Exasperated at her sister, Paige rolled her eyes yet again. Pointing her finger at Leo, she commanded, "You take Chris and Piper. I'll orb Leslie and Ms Chuckles here."

"Ahem, I don't mean to interrupt and all," Leslie cleared his throat, capturing everyone's attention, "But what are we going to do about _that_?"

Following the direction of Leslie's gaze, Piper realized that the demon she had frozen earlier was still stuck. Gesturing with her hands, she blew the demon up. Turning back to the others, Piper's eyebrow arched, "Everybody happy now? Great. Okay, Paige, you take Phoebe and Leslie, and we'll meet you back at the attic."

And as the group disappeared in a swirl of orbs, Chris' voice could be heard.

"Les, _why_ is everyone calling you Leslie?"

* * *

"Because that's my name," Leslie grumbled, his eyes avoiding contact with Chris'. They were all back in the attic, when Chris repeated his question upon materializing.

"Er, why doesn't Chris know your name?" Phoebe questioned. "I thought you said you had met him in the future."

"Because I was introduced to him as Les," Leslie explained, his tone filled with exasperation, as he pointed his finger at Chris, who was, now in the mortal realm, visibly transparent. "Look, can we focus on the issue here? Which is how to do we get _him_ corporeal?"

"_Him_ would like to sit down for a minute, while we figure things out," Chris limped his way to a chair; ghost or not, he was exhausted. "And what if I'm not suppose to be real anymore? Maybe I'm fated to move on to the afterlife, or something."

"Okay, please don't refer to yourself in third party. It's confusing enough with you, baby-you, and future-friend over there," Paige tossed her head in Leslie's direction. "And I thought you didn't believe in fate! We are going to solve this, Chris!" Paige snapped at her nephew. Realizing everyone was staring at her, shocked by her outburst, Paige muttered, "I'm going to make a pot of coffee. This is just wrong." And she quickly disappeared in a swirl of orbs from the attic before anyone could say anything.

Piper's eyebrows raised, "And what just made her so grumpy?"

"Who knows? I'll go down and talk to her," Phoebe opened the door to the attic and headed down to the kitchen.

"Okay – maybe you and I should go to Magic School and see what we can find out. And while we're at it, I think we should go check on the kids, Leo. And then we'll get everyone together and find a way to make Chris real." Piper looked at her husband, who nodded in agreement. "Sweetie," Piper addressed her adult son, "We'll be right back. _Don't move from this spot!_"

"Yes ma'am." Chris sighed, as first Piper, and then Leo, came forward to brush a kiss against his forehead, before orbing out. Left alone in the attic with just Leslie for company, Chris glared at him, "Is there something in the air? Just _what_ is so funny?"

Leslie shrugged. "You. I'm seeing a whole different side to you when you're interacting with your family. No one ever questions you or lectures you back home. It's kind of amusing to watch everyone fuss over you here. It's nice to know the infallible Chris Halliwell, leader of the Resistance, is just as human as the rest of us."

"Thanks," Chris glared, sourly, at his friend. "All right. We're alone now. Could you please tell me what you're doing here? And what's this about Darryl sending you back to protect mini-me?"

* * *

"Damn!" Paige swore, as the scalding coffee she was pouring splattered onto her hand. Placing the kettle back onto the stove, she finagled the kitchen taps with one hand and stuck the injured hand under a torrent of cold water. Giving the kettle the evil eye, Paige cursed again.

"What did the poor kettle ever do to you?" Phoebe's right eyebrow arched in question at her sister, as she entered the kitchen.

"It burned me," Paige glared at her sister. "Hence, my hand under cold water."

"No need to be grumpy, just asking," Phoebe studied her sister from beneath her lashes. "You want to talk about what went on up there just now?"

"I am NOT grumpy. Okay, fine, maybe a little. You would be too if you just poured hot coffee on your hand." Paige retorted, deftly ignoring her sister's probing.

"Come on, Paige. I know something is bothering you," Phoebe raised her hand to stop her sister from speaking, clearly anticipating Paige's next question. "That was a sister thing, not an empath thing, I swear!"

Paige kept her focus on her injured hand, as she reluctantly turned off the water, and patted her hand dry with a tea towel. "They want me to take over running Magic School."

Stunned, Phoebe was speechless for a moment, before gathering her scattered wits. "That's great! That's so you! Wait – why aren't you happy about this?" Her voice was almost accusatory.

"I am happy!" Paige protested, half-heartedly. "I mean, I'm happy that the school is going to stay open. It should. I really do believe that it will help the next generation of witches. It's just..."

"What is it honey?"

Paige shook her head. "I don't know. I'm just not sure that I can do a good job."

"Paige, you're going to do a great job." Phoebe said, confidently.

"Really?"

"Of course you will! You love magic! Piper just wants a normal life, I've just kind of accepted it, but you've always embraced your powers. I can't think of anyone who would be _better_ for the job than you. Besides, you were saying you missed working, right? Well, this is right up your alley! It's fate!" Phoebe enthused.

"Damn it, it's not fate Phoebe!" Paige stormed.

Confused by her sister's abrupt 180 degrees turn in mood, Phoebe questioned, "Okay, what was that?"

"I'm sorry," Paige apologized for her outburst, sighing. "It's just...lately, everyone keeps saying things _happen_ for a reason. That it's 'fate'."

"Well, Paige, that's because we need to believe in our destinies." Phoebe said slowly.

"Doesn't it bother you?"

"Does what bother me?"

Paige turned away from her sister, her attention focused on something outside through the kitchen window, as she said softly, "All this 'it's your destiny, it must be fate' crap."

"Okay, not following the logic here." Phoebe came around the kitchen island to stand next to her sister, following her gaze through the window.

"When Grams said that Chris was in Hell '_for a reason_', something just _snapped_ inside me. I mean, I hate it that everyone's explanation for every time something goes wrong, or someone gets hurt, they're answer is that 'there's a reason.' That 'it's fate.' It just...it makes me mad. I'm angry that they sent Chris to Hell. I'm angry that they mess with our lives, and yet, we do so much for them." Paige sighed. "But most of all, I'm afraid that my anger is going to show up if I do teach at the school."

Phoebe digested Paige's words, searching for the right thing to say to comfort her sister.

"How can I teach these kids about magic and destiny, when I'm not even sure I believe in it anymore?" All of Paige's doubts resurfaced, as she turned to look at her sister in the eyes. Paige had always been the sister who believed in magic, in destiny and in fate. And now she was questioning all her beliefs, her values, feeling as if her foundations were crumbling around her.

"How can you doubt that it isn't fate? I mean, look at all the good things that fate has brought us." Phoebe tried to reassure Paige, shaken by the self-doubt evident in Paige's eyes.

"Because I'm finally realizing all the bad things fate and destiny brings as well. Look at Prue's death, and then Chris'. How can that be right?"

"It's not our place to question destiny, Paige. Just accept it as fate."

"If I accept it as fate, then I'm helpless. I'm helpless to change anything. I have to believe that we can still change things, for the better." Paige shook her head. "I almost have to agree with what Chris said."

"Sorry, what did Chris say?" Phoebe threw Paige a puzzled look. "Did I miss a conversation somewhere?"

"In his letter. To Leo. Remember?" At Phoebe's negative response, Paige rolled her eyes. "He said he didn't believe in destiny, he believed that there was 'No fate.' That we can change our destinies."

Phoebe closed her eyes, unable to comprehend the consequences if that were true. That Prue's death could have prevented? That she could have saved Cole? She wasn't ready to accept the idea yet. "And what if you're wrong? What if we have to trust in our destinies?"

"I don't know." Paige smiled weakly, "And that's the problem."

* * *

It took the better part of an hour to fill in Chris with what had been happening in the future. His throat parched, Leslie longed for a drink of water, but knew better than to leave Chris after giving him a snapshot of the future.

"I don't understand," Chris said softly, his head slowly shaking back and forth. "Leo stopped Gideon. It should have worked. The timeline should have changed. I don't understand."

Leslie remained silent as he waited for Chris to accept his words.

"Are you sure? When _exactly_ did you leave from our time? Are you sure you didn't leave while the timeline was changing or something?" Chris asked for the second time.

Leslie gave him the same answer, "I'm sure, Chris. I left exactly one month after you and Bianca left for the Manor. Darryl and I had talked about it. He's sure that if you had changed the timeline, it would have happened instantaneously, and we wouldn't have even noticed. And maybe you _did_ change the timeline. Just not Wyatt."

Covering his face with his hands, Chris rubbed his face tiredly. "I can't believe it. I mean, we vanquished every single demon on the list. Leo saved Wyatt from Gideon. We had to have changed the future. We _had_ to."

Leslie grimaced. "I don't know what else to say, Chris. All I can tell you is that I wouldn't have come if things weren't so bad. Darryl knew what you were trying to do, and respected that. But when things didn't change, Darryl started getting worried. And then our spies told us that Wyatt's been quietly building up his forces. They outnumber us three to two. That's when Darryl decided to send me here, to get you."

The thought suddenly occurred to Chris, "And how did you get here? I thought I tore the spell out of the Book."

"You did," Leslie reassured him, "Darryl got a couple of the spell casters to come up with a potion. Actually, we weren't really sure it was going to work."

"You mean you jumped into a portal, and you weren't even sure it would work?" Chris' voice began to rise with anger. "Why would you do a fool thing like that, Les? How could you risk your life like that?"

"Because we needed you!" Leslie shouted back. "That should tell you just how bad the situation is, Chris! Look, I'm sorry you didn't save your brother, and things didn't work out here, _but we're running out of time!_" Leslie took a deep breath, before he continued, as Chris looked stunned, "I agree with Paige. We need to make you real again and get back to our timeline before there isn't _anything_ to go back to!"

Chris' shoulders slumped forward, in defeat. "I just...I was so sure it was going to work, Les. I _never_ would have left, if I didn't think I could change everything, I swear."

Leslie gently placed his hand on Chris' right shoulder, "I know. We all know. But the fact of the matter is, we tried it your way, Chris. It didn't work. Let's just focus on getting you real again, and then back home."

Chris shook Leslie's hand off his shoulder, and headed determinedly to the Book of Shadows. He began to flip through it frantically. "I must have missed something."

"What are you looking for, Chris?" Leslie asked, cautiously. "Shouldn't we wait for the sisters on this? After all, I'm pretty sure we'll need the power of three to make you corporeal."

Chris focused on the pages in front of him, his fingers skimming down the pages, searching, "I'm looking for the demon that turned Wyatt. I'm sure it's got to be in here."

"Chris!" Leslie yelled, and reaching over, slammed the Book of Shadows closed in frustration, narrowly missing Chris' fingers. "Stop it! It's over! You did your best! You did everything anyone could ever ask. Face it! Maybe it's Wyatt's destiny to be evil!"

Chris' head jerked up, his eyes blazing with such anger, that Leslie physically took a step back from Chris, alarmed. "Don't say that. Don't ever say that. It's not destiny. It's not fate." Chris hissed. "There is _no fate_!"

Knowing he was at an impasse, and not wanting to antagonize Chris any further, Leslie decided it was time for a strategic retreat. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I think I'm going to get myself a glass of water, okay?"

Chris relaxed slightly, acknowledging the silent truce. It had been a long day, and he really didn't want to be arguing with Leslie. "I'm sorry, too. I think I'm just a bit...frustrated...you know, with being stuck like I am." Chris waved his hand at himself to indicate his ghostly form. "I guess I'm just afraid of being stuck here, like this."

Leslie nodded, wanting a truce as well. "I'm really parched. I'm going to go get a drink of water in the kitchen, okay?" At Chris's nod, Leslie moved towards the door, preparing to head down the stairs, "And Chris? It's good to see you."

Chris smiled faintly, as Leslie left the attic. "It's good to see you too."

* * *

Raising their eyes to the ceiling, Phoebe and Paige were jolted out of their conservation from the raised voices coming from above.

Phoebe looked at Paige, "What do you think they're arguing about?"

Paige shrugged, "Only one way to find out."

About to grab Phoebe's hand and orb them both to the attic, Paige paused, as the yelling ceased. Patiently, the sisters waited to hear if there would be any further disturbances coming from the attic, and when the Manor remained silent, the girls shrugged, and continued their conversation.

"Look Paige. The only advice I can give you is 'trust your instincts.' They've never let you down before, right? So go with it, and just feel your way for now." Phoebe smiled weakly at her sister. "I think that's all any of us can do, for now."

Before Paige could respond, Leslie entered the kitchen, "Oh – sorry. Am I interrupting? I just wanted to get a drink of water." Leslie began to back out of the room, not wanting to interrupt the private moment between the two sisters.

"No, no." Paige smiled, beckoning the telepath to enter, "We were just finished here. I'm going to orb up to the attic and see if I can find anything in the Book of Shadows that can help us with Chris. Phoebe, why don't you show our guest where the glasses are?" Paige orbed out of the kitchen before Phoebe could open her mouth, winking mischievously at her older sister.

Phoebe sighed at her sister's good, but misguided, intentions. Turning her face to Leslie, she offered, "Do you want something to eat too?"

Leslie grinned. "Only if it won't be too much trouble. I can't remember the last time I had something to eat."

Grabbing a can from the cupboard, she thrust the can and pointed at the can opener on the kitchen counter. "Here, you open that, while I get you a glass of water." She reached into the cabinet on her left to pull down a bowl and glass, filled the glass with water and then placed both in front of Leslie. Reaching into a nearby drawer, she grabbed a spoon and plunked it into the bowl.

"Sorry, but you're going to have to reheat that yourself, if you want to eat it." Phoebe sighed, as she indicated the can with her hand. "I can't even make toast without burning it."

Leslie poured the thick, gloopy tomato mess from the can into the bowl. He then picked up the spoon, and began to spoon the mixture into his mouth, still cold. He shrugged, "Tastes fine like it is. What is it?" Picking up the can in his free hand, he studied the blue label, reading, "Spaghetti-o's?"

"Don't tell me they don't have spaghetti-o's in the future?" Phoebe asked in disbelief.

Leslie keep his eyes on the bowl in front of him, "Food is...different. Everything is...different, in the future."

Sensing a delicate nerve, Phoebe waited for Leslie to explain further. When no explanation appeared to be forthcoming, Phoebe decided to change the subject to a safer topic. "That reminds me. How'd you get Elise to hire you? It's not like you have references or anything."

"I, uh, used my powers to 'suggest' that I came highly recommended and that she should hire me on the spot," Leslie admitted, sheepishly.

"Doesn't that reek of personal gain?" Phoebe accused him.

"Personal gain? Are you crazy? No way! Like I actually _want_ to write an advice column! Trust me, I'm totally safe from the personal gain problem on that one," Leslie rolled his eyes.

"Hmmm...," Phoebe eyed him, suspiciously. Opening her mouth to ask another question, she stopped, as the sound of orbing alerted her to the presence of her sister and Leo. "We'll finish this talk later."

Leo and Piper materialized in the kitchen, surprised to see both Phoebe and Leslie sitting at the kitchen table. "Where's Paige?" Piper asked, failing to spot her baby sister after scanning the room.

"Well, hello to you too." Phoebe smiled, taking the bite out of her comment. "She's at the Book of Shadows, looking for ways to help Chris." Phoebe, anticipating Piper's next question, added, "And yes, I talked to her. So don't worry. Did you find anything at Magic School?"

Leo placed a couple of books that he had been holding under his arm onto the kitchen table, as Piper moved to the refrigerator to fix herself something to eat. She had been starving at Magic School, and had insisted Leo orb them back to the kitchen first, so she could grab something to eat, before continuing their research in the attic.

"We think we may be onto something," Leo indicated the two heavy tomes on the table. "The problem is, Chris is a unique case. Nothing like this has ever happened before, or if it did, it hasn't been documented."

"Anyways, we think there's something in these books that could help us turn Chris corporeal at least. Once we get our little neurotic back, than we can work on what to do from there." Piper mumbled, her mouth full of apple.

"I vote we make him stay here," Phoebe volunteered, as Leslie glared at her. "What?"

"He can't stay here Phoebe. It's not meant to be," Leslie went back to shoveling the pasta back into his mouth.

"What do you mean, Leslie?" Leo asked, as he took a seat next to his wife at the table. "Why couldn't Chris stay here with us? If just for a little while, at least." Piper reached for Leo's hand and gave it a little squeeze. She understood what he meant. They had just rescued their adult son, and both parents felt a need to keep him close, if just for a little while longer.

"You once asked me if in the future, your sons are good. Chris isn't a good man in the future, Leo." Leslie paused, for emphasis. "He's a great one."

"What does that have to do with keeping him here?" Phoebe asked, puzzled, as Leo and Piper absorbed Leslie's words in shock.

"You look at him and you see your son, your nephew, a 22 year old neurotic kid trying to save his family. Am I right?" Waiting for the nods from the three, Leslie tried to hint to them just how special their son was, without giving away too much of the future. "I see a kid who grew up carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, who accepted the burden of responsibility as his duty with nary a complaint. I see a kid who wants to do what's right, what's best for everyone. I see someone who always puts everyone else's needs in front of his own. I see a leader."

"And right now, the future needs that leader."

To be continued....


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Wow! Thank you to all who took the time and effort to review chapter 8. I'll respond to them in the next chapter, I promise. I was so encouraged, I wrote an extra long chapter for you! Please don't read this story if you don't want to be spoiled for season 7. I keep trying to work some of the spoilers in, to break up the story just a bit. And so I can fool myself that my story really is season 7.

Chapter 9

"So is it safe to be here?" Paige asked, as she walked into the attic, her eyes alight with mischief as she scanned the room for her nephew.

"I don't know what you mean," Chris shot her a withering glance, from his position at the Book of Shadows. He was still flipping through it; this time he searching for a spell to send him back to his own timeline.

"I guess Phoebe and I must have imagined those fireworks, eh? Come on, Chris, talk to me. What were you guys arguing about?" Paige wheedled, as she gently 'shoved' Chris out of the way, so she could conduct her own research on making Chris, as he so adeptly put it, 'a real boy.' Being a ghost meant that 'shoving' was more of her stepping into his personal space.

"Hey! I was looking for a spell to take me back!" Chris protested, as the little research he had complied was quickly ripped away, as Paige started with a fresh piece of paper from the writing pad.

"First things first. First, we anchor you to this plane. _Then_ we'll work on sending you back, okay?" Paige replied, absently, as her fingers skimmed the pages, her attention focused on the Book.

Muttering under his breath about lack of respect, Chris paced in front of Paige, his entire demeanor tense.

"Okay, you pacing is NOT helping," Paige pointed out, exasperated with her nephew. "Look, I know you can't tell me about the future, but why don't you tell me what you can about Leslie and how you know him? And what you guys were arguing about."

"You know I can't tell you anything, Paige," Chris sniffed, loftily, "Future consequences..."

Paige rolled her eyes. "That is getting _really_ old, you know, mister."

Chris shrugged, undisturbed. "Hey, I don't make the rules, you know."

"Oh please. Isn't that like calling the kettle black?" Giving up on the Book of Shadows for now, Paige narrowed her eyes at her nephew, as she began ticking off her fingers, "Let's see...how many ways have you've broken the rules so far...one, you came back from the future. Two, you _told_ everyone you were from the future. Three, you _changed_ the future. Four..."

"Okay, okay!" Chris protested. "No need to point out all my mistakes, thank you very much. Inferiority complex, remember?"

"More like neurotic," Paige smiled, fondly, her tone making it obvious that she was joking. Paige wrote down some notes on her pad of paper as she continued to flip through the Book. "Anyways, why are you in such a hurry to get back? We were just starting to get to know you. Maybe you could hang out for a little bit longer, before heading back. Aren't you going to miss us?"

His back to Paige, Chris closed his eyes, drinking in the air around him. He wanted to stay. He wanted to stay so much it hurt. Here, his mom was still alive. His brother was a cute little toddler, and the city was still intact. It was one of the reasons why he had been pushing to get back to the future as soon as he could. Because he knew, if he didn't, he'd be seduced into staying here, where everything he ever wanted still existed.

Chris snorted, and covered his despondence, "Of course I'll miss you. That's not the point."

Catching the note of despondency in Chris' voice, Paige pressed, "Hey, you can talk to me, you know. Do you really want to go? I mean, would it make a difference if you stayed here, just for a little while? After all, we'd be sending you back to a new and glorious future, right? It's not like anyone will know if you hanged out here for a bit longer."

Chris sighed. He hadn't been really happy being the leader of the Resistance. The responsibilities that came with the role were a heavy burden to bear. He just hadn't realized how much he sometimes resented it, until he had come back to the past. When he had first arrived, his mission still fresh in his mind, he had lectured the sisters on putting their wiccan duties before their personal lives. But the longer he had remained in the past, the easier it seemed to let things go. The feeling of freedom was addictive, rushing through his blood and straight to his head. Here, he was responsible for just three sisters and a baby. The fate of thousands didn't rest on his shoulders. Tallying losses after battles were a thing of the past; comforting those who had lost loved ones no longer a daily occurrence. He was free. Free from sending people to their deaths, every day. Free to enjoy life, a life he never had.

"I...being here, getting to know you, mom – it's been amazing," Chris indulged his fantasy for one moment. "But it would make a difference. I have...responsibilities." Adroitly, he decided that a change in subject was needed, "Have you found that spell to make me real yet?"

Paige raised her eyebrow, ignored Chris' attempt to change the subject and waited patiently.

"Leslie told me that the future hasn't changed. I have to go back, okay? They need me." Sighing, Chris ran his hand through his hair, and pushed his conflicting emotions aside. "I...I don't want to talk about it, okay? I...I just...I _can't_ talk about it, Paige. I'm sorry."

Slightly shocked at Chris' revelation of the future, Paige froze for a moment, before she jolted herself out of her trance. Her first priority had to be her nephew. Time for speculation could come later. Reaching out to her nephew, she placed a comforting hand on his arm, "Hey...Don't be sorry. Don't ever be sorry, okay?"

* * *

"I don't understand. What do you mean, the future needs that leader? What is Chris a leader of? Why does the future need him?" Piper questioned, her confusion clearly written on her face.

"You know I can't answer that," Leslie sighed. "I've already said too much as it is."

"Oh no!" Phoebe pointed her finger accusingly at Leslie. "You insisted on bringing this up. If you didn't want to talk about it, then you shouldn't have said anything. I am sick and tired of all this future consequences crap! How are we suppose to change things for the better, if we don't know what to change?"

Leslie cringed at the harsh words, "I don't know. It's just...everyone _knows_ you're not suppose to talk about the future."

"And just who is everyone?" Phoebe's eyebrow arched sardonically. "Ah – ha! You don't even know! I bet everyone's just been following that stupid rule for so long, that you don't even remember why anymore! It's just instinct! For all you know, you're _suppose_ to tell us everything."

Nodding at Phoebe's logic, Piper commented to Leo, "She's got a point, you know."

"Besides, we saved Wyatt. I got to him before Gideon did. So everything you're saying, must be moot," Leo argued, his eyes focused on Leslie.

"I left one month after Chris came here," Leslie's voice was soft, "I waited one whole damn month. Nothing changed." He glanced up from the table, and looked into Leo's eyes. "Nothing changed."

"That's...that's not possible," Piper stuttered. "Leo, tell him that it isn't possible. You _saved_ Wyatt. He's not evil. He's not!"

"I'm sorry, Piper," Leslie whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Horrified, they could only stare at Leslie in stunned silence. "Are you – are you saying that Wyatt is still evil? That the future didn't change?" Phoebe gasped in disbelief.

Leslie nodded. "And that's why Chris can't stay here, he _has_ to come back to the future. We need him."

"What you're saying...if what you're saying is true, then there is no way in hell that I'm sending my baby boy back to that hell hole you call a future," Piper glared at Leslie. "You want to help? Then you tell me how to change things here."

"Les, I love my son. Both of them. Please. Help me save them, both." Leo appealed. "There's so much Chris won't tell us. But I just want to protect them. I need to. Please, Les, I'm begging you."

Leslie closed his eyes, fighting the conflict within. Every gut instinct in him screamed to tell them about Chris and Wyatt. To do anything to prevent the future that he had just come from. Surely nothing could be worse than the future where he had come from, right? He opened his eyes, seeing the desperation in all their faces, and remembering all his friends who were counting on him, "I...I can't. I'm sorry. It's the first thing that's drilled in your head before you time travel. I want to tell you. Really I do. But it could screw up the future in even worst ways. There are reasons for those rules. There has to be."

Defeated, Leo slumped in his chair. How could he protect his sons from the unknown? How could he save his sons? How could he prevent this horrible future that seemed destined to be, no matter what he did?

Piper, on the other hand, was having none of it.

Her eyes blazing, she spat "Are you kidding me? If the future is anything what we just saw in Chris' head, how could it possibly get any worse? Don't fool yourself! It's not that you can't tell us about the future, it's that you won't! How the hell are we suppose to change the future if people like you won't tell us what to change!?!"

It didn't take Phoebe her empathic powers to realize that Piper was pissed. Royally so. Trying to diffuse the situation, she offered up a compromise. "Les – Piper's right. We've already seen the future, in Chris' mind. We already know that San Francisco is basically destroyed. Look, we already know what's going to happen if we don't change things. Help us save the future. Tell us what we _can_ change, how to help our nephews."

"Is that what you saw in Chris' head? The future?" Leslie questioned, his eyes darting between Piper and Phoebe.

Phoebe nodded. "I have to say, it wasn't a pretty picture."

Letting out a slow breath, Leslie recalled the time from which he just jumped, "No. No, it's not. I told you before, the future, it's different...from now. I don't know what you can change. Chris was the only one who ever knew, that's why he came back. But it didn't work. We've got to cut our losses. Every minute he spends here, pushes us closer to the edge."

Rubbing his eyes tiredly, Leslie considered his words carefully. He didn't want to give away too much information, just in case it did screw up the future, but he wanted to tell them enough to realize how important it was to get Chris back to his own time. "The war between good and evil never ends, you know that. But...it seems like evil is starting to gain the upper hand. We've been waging the battle for close to five years, and it's...it's been hard. The final confrontation is coming, and...we need to have hope. We need hope that we'll win. We need to hope that good will conquer over evil."

"We need Chris."

* * *

Chris rummaged through the shelves in the attic, not knowing what he was looking for, but if he didn't do _something_, he was going to go crazy. It had been silent for the last twenty minutes, save the rustling of the pages each time Paige flipped through the Book.

"Did you really mean it?" Paige asked, softly.

Confused, since Paige's question seemed to come from nowhere, Chris tried to recall their last conversation. He retraced their conversation in his brain, but when he still didn't know what she meant, he questioned, "Mean what?"

Her eyes downcast, "That there is 'no fate'."

Taken aback, Chris was dumbfounded. He opened his mouth, but no sound emerged. _Paige, questioning fate?_ Of the three sisters, Chris knew that Paige embraced her wiccan side the most whole heartedly. He had observed her here, in the past, when she had undertaken numerous temp jobs in her determination to find her 'magical destiny.' Frankly, of all the sisters, Paige was the last one he ever expected to ask him that question. Playing for time, Chris asked instead, "How do you know about that?"

"What? How you believe that there is no fate?" At Chris' nod, Paige continued, "I saw the letter you wrote to Leo, that you gave to Clarence. You said you believed that we could change our destinies, that we didn't all have predetermined fates. Do you really believe that?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Chris, just give me a straight answer for once!" Furious, Paige glared at her nephew. Carefully, she enunciated each word, "Do – you – believe – in – fate?"

"I'm not trying to avoid answering you! I just...I just need to know what brought this on," Chris rubbed his chin wearily.

"The Elders asked me to take over running Magic School." As Chris' eyes widened at the news, Paige sighed. "But I'm not sure I'm the right person. Ever since you...you know, _died_, I've been struggling with myself. Everyone keeps telling me that there was 'a reason' for what happened to you. That I should believe in our magical destinies. And all I can think is 'what a bunch of crap.' How can I teach kids about magic and destiny when I'm not sure I even believe in it myself, anymore?"

"Paige. I...I don't know what to say," Chris closed his eyes, searching his heart to find the right words to explain himself. "Maybe I should have written that letter a bit better. Those words, they hold a special meaning to me...I borrowed them from this movie I once saw when I was a kid. But there's more to it than just 'no fate'."

"I don't understand."

"Obviously we don't share the same taste in movies," Chris smiled as Paige snorted. "It's not that I don't believe that fate or destiny doesn't exist. Rather, I like to think that there is no fate, _no fate, but what we make._ The future isn't set in stone; we can be master of our own destinies. When mom first visited the future, the Elders showed her a future with a daughter. Well, as far as I know, mom's only had Wyatt and me. When aunt Phoebe told me that story, I knew, I _knew_ I was right. We can change things. Maybe better, maybe for worse." Chris shrugged. "But the important thing to remember is that we _can_ change the future."

"It's just...I feel...lost, you know?" Paige tried to explain her feelings. "If the future isn't set, if fate doesn't control our destinies, why do we bother?"

"Because that's life." Chris' smile was crooked. "If fate controlled our destinies, if everything was predetermined, where would be our right to choose? To make mistakes? To live our lives?"

As his words sank in, Paige shook her head, half in amazement, and half in disbelief, "How'd you get so smart?"

Chris smirked, "What can I say?"

"Obviously, modesty is not one of your virtues." Narrowing her eyes at him, Paige teased him back. "Didn't anyone every tell you that pontificating is a rather annoying trait?"

Chris' smile faded. "Seriously, Paige. I really do believe that it's our responsibility to grab our destinies with both hands and bend it to our will. We're like cogs, in a wheel, on which the future turns. When you think about it, it's an awesome responsibility; just think, the choices you make, the decisions you decide, could influence the outcome of the universe." Chris paused, letting his words sink in. "And that's why I think it's great that you are going to teach at Magic School. The next generation needs to know that there's a world out there that they're going to be responsible for. You can give them guidance, nurture their talents and teach them about that responsibility. And maybe you can help make the future be better because of it."

"You know, I think you're right," Paige nodded slowly, consciously deciding to mull Chris' words over at another time. "Maybe...maybe this can be a good thing. A great thing." Rolling her eyes at Chris' knowing grin, she pushed her worries to the back of her mind to concentrate on finding a way to save her nephew, and once again flipped open the Book of Shadows. "Okay, right now, let's focus on helping you. Stupid book. There isn't anything in here about making you corporeal _or_ sending you back."

"Well, maybe we need to try something different," Chris began to pace again, acknowledging Paige's need to change gears. "What about a potion? Wait a minute! What about Gideon's potion?"

"Huh? What about it?" Paige stared at Chris blankly.

"Before...before I was stabbed...Dad and I were in the attic, and he said that Gideon didn't want us to use the potion to get back, which was why we used the power of three spell. Dad thinks that means the potion must work!" Chris stopped his pacing to stare back at Paige. "Why didn't I remember that before?"

"Well, maybe you were distracted by, you know, the whole dying thingy and getting sent to Hell?" Paige cracked.

Rolling his eyes, Chris focused on the issue. "So do you still have those potions? If you do, they should still work."

"Yeah, I think we do. In fact, I think we left them at Magic School!" Paige recalled, as that had been the last place they had been when they had tried to send Chris back to his time.

"Well don't just stand there!" Chris ordered, "Go back to the School and find those potions! At least that solves one of our problems."

"Look, you're one of my favourite nephews and all, but you have got to relax!" Paige replied. Ignoring the withering look Chris gave her, she sighed, as she orbed out of the attic, "And you – you keep looking in the Book for a way to make yourself corporeal!"

* * *

Piper shook her head slowly. "I still don't understand why it's so important that Chris goes back to the future right now. Wouldn't it make more sense to figure out what to fix here first, before we even attempt to send him back?"

"I know you don't want to hear this. Chris certainly didn't. But he tried. Don't you get it? He came back to change things, but _nothing_ changed. Maybe, maybe nothing is supposed to change. I don't know." Leslie ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "But we tried it his way. And it didn't work. I'm sorry, but he's got responsibilities. He has people counting on him. He's given you plenty of information to protect Wyatt; now it's time for him to come home and fulfill his duties. I get that Wyatt's your first priority here, but mine is protecting my friends and family back home. It's up to you to save Wyatt."

Phoebe gently touched Leslie's shoulder, offering him what comfort she could. The anguish in his tone was clearly discernible.

Stubborn as a mule, Piper put her foot down. "I still think we wait. We fix things here, _then_ we can send him back. So he can go back to the happy and peaceful future he deserves."

"Are you even listening to me?" Leslie shook his head in frustration. "I know him, Piper. This is killing him slowly, inside. Being here, with all of you. Happier times. Who wouldn't want to stay? God! I want to stay! And that's why we need to leave here, right now! Before both of us decide to stay here."

"Whoa!" Phoebe held up her hands in protest, as Leslie's emotions flared up again and her empathic powers picked up on the leak. "I think we may be confusing desires here. Are you in such a hurry to get Chris home because you feel guilty for being here?" Phoebe shook her head in confusion, trying to interpret the emotional thread.

Leslie clamped down on his shields, effectively sealing off the leak before Phoebe could read him even more. "That would be selfish. And I _know_ Chris. He won't stay here, when he knows he's needed at home. But every day you force him to stay here, a piece of him is going to think about everyone he's left behind. All the deaths he could have prevented. All the people he's letting down the longer he stays here. And that piece of him is going to die just a little bit more each day."

"Do you honestly think that Chris can't change things here? That the only option is for us is to do our best to protect Wyatt and for Chris to go back to the future?" Leo asked Leslie, searching for the truth.

"All I can tell you is that we've tried it Chris' way. Now it's time for him to try it our way. Darryl and I were always against this plan of Chris' to come here, to this time. There was no guarantee that it would work, but we couldn't stop him. But I understood he had to try...hell, I wanted him to be right, so badly, more for his sake than our own. But he wasn't. And I have to think about everyone at home, and that means I need to get Chris to go home."

Leslie pushed himself away from the table, standing up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a leader I need to bring back."

And he left the room.

* * *

"Ouch!" Paige exclaimed, as she bumped into another box. Absently, she patted her pocket to make sure that the vials with the important time travel potions were still intact. "Okay, how long does it take to unpack all this stuff?", she said to no one in particular, as she maneuvered her way across the room.

"Depends. If we actually want to be able to find stuff later, then a long time."

Paige turned her head to see a young man approach her, in a set of teacher's robes from Magic School. He looked to be about the same age as her nephew, that is, the adult one, anyways. "Hi, I'm Paige. Have we met?"

Shaking her hand, the young man shook his head. "Nope. I'm Ben. Pleased to meet you. I'm a grad student here at Magic School. Can I just say how much I admire you for sticking up to the Elders and keeping the School open?" He smiled at her, his blue eyes twinkling. "I definitely agree that we need to keep this place open for the next generation."

Paige smiled back, noticing that he had a nice smile. "Your welcome. So, ahhh, how long till this place is back in swing?" She looked around the room, noticing the numerous teenagers running wild. Some were helping to put stuff back, but a lot were just lounging around.

"Well," Ben scratched his head thoughtfully, "Mrs. Winterbourne thinks another week or so. We're almost done cleaning up, and then we'll be ready for classes. That is, of course, if you think so."

"Well, of course I think so," Paige chattered nervously. She grimaced as she felt a spit ball hit her in the back of her head. Turning around, she glared at the kids, "Okay, that was disgusting. You," Paige pointed at one of the kids who was staring at her rebelliously, "unpack that box."

"Whatever," the teenager grumbled, his eyes backing down from the fire in Paige's. Grabbing the nearest box, the kid began to haphazardly toss the books from the box onto the nearest tables.

Turning back to Ben, Paige smiled pleasantly, "I'm sorry. What were we just talking about?"

Ben grinned. "You'll have to forgive Duncan. That kid's got enough energy to light up a city."

"You mean he's really powerful?" Paige gasped.

"Nah. I mean he's hyper," Ben laughed. "He can conjure, but that's about it, so far."

Paige laughed back. "Well, conjuring isn't anything to snort at..."

Suddenly, a swirl of golden lights appeared above their heads, before settling in the middle of the room, and materializing into a woman sitting on a horse.

A naked woman.

Whipping her head around, she turned to find Duncan with a book in his lap, open to a page with a picture of the same woman, "Uh...sorry?"

Paige sighed. "This is going to be a long day."

* * *

"Were you born this self righteous?" Phoebe demanded, as soon as she, Piper and Leo entered the attic. "Or was it something you picked up along the way?"

Both Leslie and Chris looked up from the Book of Shadows. "Uh, who are you talking to?" Chris asked, a little uncertainly, glancing from the angry expressions on his parents and Phoebe's faces to Leslie's own blank expression.

"Him! Of course," Phoebe jabbed her finger into Leslie's shoulder, producing a wince. "Just because you left the kitchen, doesn't mean the conversation is over."

"Did you follow me up here just to tell me that? Or are you actually going to do something useful to help make Chris corporeal?" Leslie sniped.

As Phoebe began stuttering, Piper held up both her hands in an attempt to gain control of the situation. "Okay, time out! Can we please focus on the most important thing here? Helping Chris?" She paused, her right eyebrow arched, as she glared at Phoebe, who ducked her head and at Leslie, who nodded shamefully. "Thank you."

Hoping to forestall any further arguments, Leo directed his next question to Chris, "Any luck with the Book?"

Chris shook his head. "Nah. Not a thing in here about making a ghost corporeal. But Paige and I did get a lead on how to get me back to the future. You must have just missed her. She's at Magic School right now, following up."

"That's great! Why didn't you say something earlier?" Leslie exclaimed.

"Because I didn't get a chance to. You just got here, like, 5 minutes ago, Les!" Chris glared at his friend in annoyance. Turning back to his family, Chris asked, "Any luck at Magic School?"

"Actually, yeah." Piper pointed to the two heavy tomes Leo was carrying under his arm. "There wasn't anything _specific_ about your situation, but we found a couple of things that may put us on the right track, at least."

"We don't have time to be 'put on the right track.' We need to make Chris real, and get back to our time, right now!" Leslie argued.

"Make Chris real..." Phoebe mused aloud.

Ignoring her sister, Piper glared back at the telepath, "Hey! I don't tell you how to do your job, do I? So you don't get to tell me how to do mine." Piper narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "And anyways, I thought Phoebe said your job was to protect us. What's this whole 'we need to get back' thingy? Mighty hard to protect us from demons if you're in the future."

"I think we've totally lost control of the conversation," Chris sighed, aside to Leo.

"Make Chris real..." Phoebe repeated.

"Yes, Phoebe, we _know_. Can we focus here? As in I don't trust this guy any further than I can throw him?" Piper snapped, waving her hand in Leslie's general direction.

"That's it!" Phoebe began to babble excitedly. "That's it. We make Chris real! We make Chris real and then we can send him back to the future!"

Leo and Chris looked at each other, puzzled. "Yes – that _is_ what we've been working on, Phoebe, for, like the last couple of hours!" Chris pointed out, dryly.

"I know that's what we've been working on," Phoebe smiled triumphantly. "And I know _exactly_ how to make Chris real again!"

Paige materialized into the attic, catching Phoebe's last statement. "You do? That's great!"

"Hey, did you find what we were looking for?" Chris asked.

Holding up her hand to show him the two vials of potion, Paige grinned, "Yep. Anytime you want to go, we're ready."

"And what took you so long?" Chris wondered.

"Hey!" Paige glared back at her nephew, as she picked out the spit ball from her hair. "Some of us have jobs, you know."

"Magic School?" Leo asked, matter-of-factly.

"Yes, Magic School." Paige rolled her eyes. "I'll explain later. Suffice to say, I had some unconjuring I had to do."

"Are those the potions Gideon said wouldn't work?" Piper asked.

At Paige's thumb's up sign, Leo nodded, emphatically, "Good thinking, you guys. I forgot all about those. Chances are that they really will work."

"But is it safe?" Piper asked, worriedly. "I mean, remember what happened last time?"

"Last time was a spell, mom. This is a potion. And we've got two vials, one for me to use to get back here, if it doesn't work. Relax, okay?" Chris reassured Piper, then directed his attention back to Phoebe. "So how are we going to make me real?"

"With a couple of alterations, we're going to use the potion that we used to make Mr. Right real!" Phoebe explained, gleefully.

"You mean, Paige's sex toy?" Piper asked, fuzzily, scratching her head.

"He was NOT a sex toy!" Paige yelled, slightly embarrassed as she saw the smirks the guys tried to hide. "Oh, what? Like you've never conjured stuff before."

Still smiling, Chris went to the shelf, pulling down the pot the sisters used to brew their potions. "What do you need, Phoebe?"

* * *

Coughing, Paige waved away the small cloud of smoke rising from the pot. "Okay, I think a little less mordock root, don't you?"

"Who is making this potion, you or me?" Phoebe rolled her eyes, as she grabbed the spoon away from Paige and continued stirring.

"Well, I think that the answer to that would be, all three of us," Piper put in, calmly grabbing the spoon from Phoebe.

"Okay, yeah," Phoebe conceded, "But who made this potion before and it worked perfectly fine?"

"That would be you," Paige agreed, "And it would also be you who didn't write down the exact ingredients in the Book so we'd have it for reference again."

"I was going to! It's just things got busy. You know, saving the future and all that," Phoebe retorted, defensively. "I was going to write everything down, right after I actually started my sabbatical."

"Are they always like this?" Leslie whispered, sitting next to Chris, on the other side of the room, as they watched the sisters bicker. Leo had orbed back to Magic School, to check on the children and Victor.

"Yeah." Chris smiled wistfully. "I'm going to miss this."

"Me too."

"You?" Chris asked, "Just how long have you been here?"

"Not long," Leslie shook his head. "But that's not the point. I've been here long enough."

"Long enough for what?"

"You know, every day, in the future, I would get up wondering if that day would be my last?" Leslie reminisced. "I hated being trapped underground, like I was some sort of rat, never seeing daylight. I can't remember the last time I had a decent meal back home. Every day, I'd wonder how many people did we lose? Would the dead be someone I knew? What if they left loved ones behind?" Leslie looked down at his hands, reflecting. "I'd forgotten what it use to be like, you know. Before. Being here...It's like I'm in a dream, and I don't want to wake up."

Chris placed a comforting hand on Leslie's shoulder.

"I've been here long enough. Long enough to miss things that I'd forgotten about," Leslie laughed self deprecatingly. "Phoebe was right. Almost long enough to not want to go back."

"Maybe you shouldn't."

"What?" Leslie stared at Chris like he had grown another head.

"Maybe you shouldn't come back with me," Chris had heard the anguish and wistfulness in the other man's voice. "I don't need a baby sitter, Les. Maybe you should stay here, protect the sisters."

Leslie shook his head frantically, "No way. I'm going with you. I've got your back, remember?"

"Les," Chris smiled, fondly, at his friend. He felt so old, right then, even though Leslie was chronologically older. "Frankly, you were the one who told me that Wyatt's sending demons back in time to try to kill mini-me. You know, Piper made a good point earlier. How are you suppose to protect the baby if you're not even in the same timeline?"

"Chris–," Leslie said, warningly. "I don't need your pity."

Chris snorted. "Trust me, I don't have time for pity." His face softened, just a bit. "But I do have time for compassion. I know the future's not an easy place to be. And you're right, I _am_ needed there. But I need you here too. I need someone I can trust to not just take care of mini-me, but someone who'll look out for the sisters and Wyatt."

"Leo's doing that. They're _all_ doing that, Chris." Leslie disagreed.

"But there's only so much Leo can do. With Wyatt sending demons back through time, I need someone here that has the knowledge from the future, in case there are demons that my family has yet to encounter. That person is you."

"But – ," Leslie started to object. "That person could be you, too."

"Les. You said it yourself. The future needs me." Chris smiled, sadly. "From what you've told me, they're going to need me even more. But you...you can stay here. You can continue my work, and find out what turns Wyatt evil and stop them."

"I still don't think it's right. But I...I..thank you," Leslie whispered. "I won't let you down, Chris. I swear it."

Chris clapped Leslie on the back, "I know you won't. I'm counting on it."

They sat in silence.

Leslie cleared his throat, "Oh, before I forget...", Leslie reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out a piece of paper, and handed it to Chris. At Leslie's urging, Chris slowly took the paper from him, unfolding it.

It was the photo of his family.

Chris blinked back his tears, as he studied the photo. It was one of the few personal items that he had managed to save, over the years. It reminded him of why he got up every morning, when all he wanted to do was run away and hide. It reminded him of why he fought for a better future, when all he wanted to do was give up.

It reminded him of when his family had been happy.

And they _had_ been happy.

Folding the photo back into a square, he pressed it into Leslie's palm. "Chris –, what are you doing? This is yours..."

"And now I want you to have it," Chris grinned at Leslie's blank stare. "This photo has been a great source of strength for me. It reminded me of why I came to the past. And I want it to remind you of why you're here. _That's_ what you're fighting for. Every time you feel like giving up, or that you should come back to the future to help, I want you to look at this photo. Because whatever you do here, is just as important, if not more so, than anything you could do back home."

Leslie slowly closed his fist around the photo, careful not to crush the fragile piece of paper and reiterated, "I won't let you down, Chris. I promise I won't."

"I know."

* * *

"Hey," Leo said, as he orbed into the attic, "Did you guys finish the potion?"

"Got it right here," Paige held up the vial in triumph. "Now we just need to throw it at Chris."

"Someone call my name?" Chris got up from his seat, and crossed the room, with Leslie trailing behind him.

"Stand back," Phoebe warned everyone, "We just want to be careful."

"Wait!" Leo protested. "What if something goes wrong? Can't you test it somehow?"

"Uh, Leo, I don't mean to be picky, but what could go wrong?" Paige asked, wryly. "Chris is a ghost. I don't think we could _do_ anything to him."

"Other than the whole corporeal thing, of course," Phoebe chirped.

"Okay – can we please just get this over with?" Chris griped, impatiently. "Just throw the damn ---. Mom!"

"Give me that!" Piper had snatched the vial out of Paige's hand and _threw_ it at her son. "That will teach you not to swear!"

As the smoke lifted, a clearly visible Chris was standing in front of them. "I don't believe it. It worked." Chris whispered in disbelief.

Piper clapped her hands to her mouth in joy, as Phoebe ran and threw her arms around her nephew. "I can't believe it! It worked! It worked!"

Paige quickly joined her sister, hugging her nephew, smiling at the feel of his body. "I can't believe it either."

"Who didn't believe that I could do this, huh, huh?" Phoebe leaned towards Paige.

Raising her eyes heavenward, as if pleading for patience, Paige replied, grudgingly, "I did. I'm sorry. I never should have doubted you."

"That's all I wanted to hear," Phoebe smiled smugly.

"Okay, our turn." Piper smiled through her tears as she pushed her sisters away. She enfolded her son in her arms. "I love you."

"I love you too, mom." Chris said softly. He looked up at the feel of another hand on his back, into Leo's eyes. "Thanks for saving me."

"Your welcome."

* * *

He felt horrible. They were all so happy. And he was tearing their family apart. Leslie stood alone, watching the happy reunion, feeling like a kid with his nose pressed up to the window of a candy store. He envied Chris at this moment. All of Leslie's family was pretty much gone. His parents gone, his sister killed, he didn't have any close family left in the future.

And then he remembered, neither did Chris.

How could he take this away from Chris? How could he let anyone deny Chris this? If only he hadn't agreed with Darryl to come back here. Maybe Chris would have had the chance to be happy. He berated himself for his self-righteousness; Phoebe had been right. Where did he get off with his holier-than-thou attitude, insisting to Chris' family that Chris' place was in the future? To lead? To fight? If anyone deserved more to be happy, to spend some time with his family, it was Chris.

Maybe they could get by without Chris, in the future. After all, one difference could one person make?

And even as Leslie thought it, he knew it wasn't true. One person could make all the difference. After all, Wyatt was one person. And so was Chris.

And then, as if Chris could read his thoughts, he glanced up and his gaze met Leslie's. "I have to go now, Mom."

"What?" Piper clutched her son to her harder, ignoring his gentle attempts to pry her arms loose. "No...no, just a little longer. I could make your favourite dinner. I could..."

"Mom," Chris repeated, gently, drawing back to look into her eyes. "I have to go now."

Tears began to course down her face, as Piper shook her head in denial. "It's not fair. It's not. Can't you stay? With us? Please?"

Chris stepped back from his mother's embrace, gently pushing her towards his father. Chris' eyes met the sorrow in Leo's, but he knew his father would understand. If anyone understood Chris' duty to take care of others, it was his father. "Mom. It's okay. You've got mini-me, remember? So I am staying, in a way." Chris glanced at Paige, who nodded, and picked up the potions she had brought back from Magic School.

"It's not the same," Piper sniffled.

Phoebe wiped her tears away, as she began to draw the triquetra on the wall with a piece of chalk.

Chris held his hand out to Paige, who silently placed one of the vials in Chris' hand. Leo stepped next to them, his arms still firmly wrapped around Piper, as she continued to cry. "You come right back if...if you're not suppose to be where you're suppose to be."

Nodding, Chris turned his back to face the triquetra. "I'm ready."

"Wait! What about Les?" Phoebe pointed at the man, who was standing silently observing them.

"He's going to stay here," Chris explained. "He'll help you finish what I've started. And that's to find out what turns Wyatt evil and save him."

"Why can't you stay, then?" Piper choked out.

"Because I have...responsibilities. Mom, Les told you that the future still needs to be changed. And he'll help you do that. But I have to go. I have people who are counting on me." Chris explained, regret filling his voice.

Paige picked up the other vial, in her hand, getting ready to toss it. "Are you sure?"

Chris smiled crookedly, "I'm sure."

Paige threw the vial at the triquetra, and the portal glowed. Chris paused, just before stepping through the portal, to glance back over his shoulder at his family one last time. Phoebe's and Paige's eyes were bright with unshed tears, and his mother was openly sobbing. But what surprised him most were the silent tears running down his father's cheeks. "Take care of each other." Trying to lighten the moment, he joked, "See you in 22 years." And he stepped through the portal before he could change his mind.

"Look out!" Leslie shouted, running towards the sisters, as before the portal even had a chance to close as Chris disappeared into it, another opened, on the wall directly opposite from Chris', which the Halliwells currently had their backs to. Leo and the sisters turned around just in time to see a demon stepping out from a second portal

Snarling, the demon threw an energy ball at the nearest sister, Phoebe; Leslie knew he wasn't going to reach Phoebe in time to push her out of the way, so he did the next best thing. He lunged across the distance separating them, and threw his body in front of hers as a shield. Pain exploded in his chest, as the energy ball hit Leslie directly, the force of the energy ball knocking them both into Chris' time portal.

"Phoebe!" Piper gasped, whipping her head around to see her sister and Leslie fly through the air into the portal. Enraged, Leo waved his hands, emitting beams of electricity in an attempt to vanquish the demon, while at the same time, the demon threw another energy ball in its attempt to kill the remaining humans.

The force of the two magics collided in the middle of the room, exploding with enough force to send the demon soaring through the air back into the time portal behind it that the demon had emerged from.

And with enough force to send the two sisters and Leo through the air into the time portal Chris, Phoebe and Leslie had just disappeared into.

And both portals glowed, the lights flaring up briefly, before vanishing.

Leaving the attic completely empty.

To be continued....

A/N: Yay! I've reached the half way point of the plot line! Happy dance! Okay, the next chapter is two-thirds written, so I'll try to get it up by the end of the weekend.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Okay, this chapter is a little violent, and maybe just a touch graphic. If that kind of stuff makes your stomach churn, you might want to pass on this chappie. This is what I'd call my first attempt at an 'action' chapter. At least, I hope it comes across as one.

Cat: Hope this update is soon enough for you.

Teal-lover: Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long...and that this chapter lives up to your expectations.

Ccharmed24/7: I love, love, love hearing that! Thanks!

Alexis Rose: I hope everyone will be all right too. Glad you love the story!

Rhea: Thanks! I put together a one page summary before commencing the fic in hopes that the story would flow. I did notice some mistakes the other day when I was rereading some of the chapters, but I won't tell if you won't.

Ilovedrew88: Yeah, I had been debating where I wanted the story to go, but I pretty much knew from the onset that I wanted the sisters to end up in his future. I will try to update soon!

Drewfuller4eva: But I love getting your reviews! Actually, I didn't realize Chris would be a ghost either, until I was reading sailorwind's review, and thought...oops, that's right, he's dead! So don't worry, you're not the only one who didn't notice!

Melissa-p: thanks! I'm trying to incorporate humour into the story, so that it's at least a little bit in keeping with the genre of the show. Sorry there was no action in chapter 9, but maybe this one will make up for it?

Californiachick: Thanks! Glad you liked the extra long chapter. I was originally going to split it into two parts, but I wanted to move the plot along. Much better that way, I think.

Sailorwind: Thanks! You have yourself to thank actually, as the original concept of chapter 9 came from your feedback on Chris still being a ghost. The original plan for chapter 9 was going to be a quick bridge to this one, and not too much explanatory scenes.

Pukah: Yep, someone is definitely not a happy camper in this chapter. Three guesses on who, and the first two don't count! I'm glad you like the No Fate thing as that is the major theme of this story, and I plan to keep revisiting it throughout the chapters. I'm not sure I'm a great writer? (blushes) but thanks for thinking so!

Stony Angel: Glad you love it! Yeah, I wish Chris could have stayed behind in a happier time, but I guess it's not meant to be. At least, not in my fic!

Manette: Merci! Pas du tout! Glad you like Leslie. I promise to work as fast as possible on getting the next chapter written!

Buffspike: Thank you!

Ashlee: Thanks! I really wanted Leslie to likeable, (because I'm not so fond of him on the show) so I'm hoping that Chapter 8 & 9 helped everyone to start to like him.

Rhia: Really? You think so? Ohhhh, I hope so too! I'll do my best, cross my heart.

Sickle Sword: You like it? Really? Cool!

Zoned-out: thanks!

Zeria: Yes, I've convinced myself I'm not fond of Les on the show, so I figured I'd work double hard to make him likeable here. I feel bad for Chris too.

Okay! On with the show!

* * *

Chapter 10

Chris hated the feeling of passing through time portals. The combination of the disorientation as he passed across 'time' and the resulting jolt he felt as he emerged safely on the other side had always made his stomach churn.

Funny, his family had never mentioned feeling the same way.

In a heartbeat, he was through. Except – he wasn't where he was supposed to be.

He looked around wildly, his mouth hanging open, as he tried to figure out what had gone wrong. He had fully expected to emerge in the attic; every other case he had passed through a portal, it had moved him through time, but not place. A portal was always 'anchored' in the same location, no matter which time he was entering. Instead, he was standing in a circle of scorched earth, amidst a pile of rubble. Where the hell was he?

Before he could gather his thoughts on planning his next steps, he heard something from behind him, emerging from the portal.

"What the ???" Chris swore, turning too slowly, as he was hit from behind, and fell forward, knocked face down into the earth. Struggling beneath the dead weight, he tensed, preparing to use his telekinesis to throw the heavy mass off himself, when he paused.

"Ohhhh, my aching head," a familiar voice moaned.

He spat out the mouthful of dirt he had accidentally swallowed on impact with the hard ground. "Phoebe?" Chris gasped in disbelief. Another groan alerted him to the presence of another. "Les?!?" Chris wiggled out from underneath the dead weight carefully. Scrambling to his feet, he glanced up just in time to see his parents and Paige fly through the portal and heading straight at him.

Waving his hands hastily, Chris 'caught' the three flying Halliwells, and tried to cushion their fall. The clumsy attempt managed to soften the resulting fall, but they still ended up falling onto the ground with a thud. Before he could muster his family back on their feet, the portal closed with a _snap._

"Damn it to hell. I knew I should have made you guys use a spell," Chris said sourly, as he surveyed his family sprawled around him.

"I'd ask where the hell we are, but I'm starting to feel it's a little redundant." Paige looked around at the familiar landscape of ruined buildings, deserted streets and general devastation, brushing the dirt from her hands. Seeing the seething anger building in Chris' eyes, Paige quickly interjected, "Before you start screaming at us, it wasn't our fault. It was an accident!"

Affronted, Chris said, his tone flat, "I don't scream. Women scream. _I_ yell."

"Hey! Help your aunts, bitch later," Piper picked herself off the ground, dusting herself off, "Leo? Phoebe? You guys okay?"

Phoebe sat up, her hand on her forehead, groaning, "Did someone get the license of the truck that hit me?"

Opening his mouth to give his family a piece of his mind about future consequences, Chris' eyes widened, as he noticed what Phoebe was sitting on. Or rather who.

It was Leslie, and he didn't look too good. "Dad," Chris yanked his father up off the ground where he lay, stunned, dragging his father towards his friend. "I think Les needs some healing."

Gathering his wits, Leo quickly stumbled across the ground the couple of feet towards Les, quickly kneeling down next to the fallen man, to place his hands over the gaping chest wound.

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" Phoebe exclaimed, as she clambered off the poor man. "Oh my god!"

"Okay, heard you the first time," Chris eyed his aunt, watching Leo heal Leslie out of the corner of his eye. "What I'd much rather hear is what the _hell_ you're all doing here?!?" Crossing his arms like a petulant child, Chris directed his best glare at his family. "Do you guys even listen to me about future consequences? 'Cause the last time I checked, I'm pretty sure when my mouth is moving, words come out when I speak."

As Leo finished healing Leslie, he glanced up at Chris. "Sorry Chris. It was a demon attack. The bugger just appeared out of nowhere, and starting shooting energy balls at us and knocked us into your time portal before it had a chance to close."

"I don't get it. If this is the future, shouldn't we be in the Manor right now?" Piper asked, puzzled.

"Well, we're definitely in the future. Trust me, I'd recognize the destruction of the city anywhere," Chris surveyed the area, as he answered his mother. He sighed, knowing that lecturing them any further would only result in a dry throat, mainly his. Surrendering to the inevitable, Chris allowed the change of topic. "Still, I'd like to where the hell we are. The portal should have opened in the attic..."

"That's because it did," Leslie murmured. "Or at least, what's left of the attic." As five pairs of eyes swung to focus on him, Leslie continued, self consciously, "I'm sorry, Chris...I should have told you before, but it totally slipped my mind. Wyatt destroyed the manor about three weeks after you left."

Chris felt a sharp pang of regret in his stomach. The manor may have been a museum for the last half of his life, but for the first half it had been a home. A very good home, at that. "Why?" he croaked, "Why would Wyatt do such a thing? He always said it was a reminder to everyone about his heritage..."

Leslie shrugged. "No idea. It was...one day it was there, the next day, it was...destroyed."

Chris shoved his hands in his pockets in frustration, yanking his right hand out when he encountered something _slimy_ in his pocket, "What the – ?!?"

"Chris? What is it?" Piper asked worriedly, noticing her son's expression.

"Damn it!" Chris swore, and wiping his hand clean on his pant leg, he cursed again, this time a word so filthy that the girls blushed.

"Okay, Mr. Potty mouth. You're starting to scare us," Paige looked nervously at Chris, watching him curse quite proficiently, as he started kicking nearby rocks in frustration.

"Chris – talk to us, please." Leo moved to stand in front of his son, placing both his hands on his son's shoulders, effectively forcing Chris to stop and focus on his father.

Taking a deep breath, Chris fought to bring his emotions under control. Reaching into his pocket, Chris opened his palm to reveal bits of broken glass.

"Why do you have glass in your pocket? Where did – oh, oh, oh...the potion," Piper gasped. "The potion to take you, us back..."

Hurling the bits of glass away in frustration, Chris cursed again. "That was you ticket back. It must have broken when you guys landed on me."

"Well, that just means we need to get back to base and make up a new potion," Leslie suggested, picking the highest pile of stones to climb up on. He shaded his eyes from the sun, looking off into the distance.

Chris groaned. "That's even assuming that we _have_ all the ingredients at base." Jumping up next to Leslie, Chris began to scan the area as well, automatically falling into old habits.

"Well, we could try writing a spell," Paige suggested.

Chris and Leslie both grunted, their concentration obviously elsewhere. Watching the two guys staring off into the distance, Phoebe asked with exasperation, "Okay, what exactly are you two doing? Is this some kind of new age ritual in the future?"

Chris ignored her as he scanned the horizon, and his eyes focused on something in the distance, his hand acting as a visor to block the sun from his face. "Les – do you see what I see?"

Hearing the note of urgency in Chris' voice, Leslie moved his way over to stand next to Chris. Narrowing his eyes, Leslie followed Chris' line of sight. In the distance, he could make out something dark and large.

And it was moving, fast.

Towards them.

They looked at each other, in dread. "Trackers!"

Leslie jumped off the pile of rocks, and catching Phoebe's hand he began dragging her behind him, yelling at the rest of the stunned Halliwells. "Run!"

Leo, Piper and Paige looked at each other, speechless, as Chris tore down from his perch, yelling at his family, "Demons! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!"

Hearing the panic in Chris' voice, Leo acted instinctively, latching his hand onto Piper's arm and began running after Leslie and Phoebe. A bewildered Paige was still trying to understand what was going on, as Chris shoved her from behind, pushing her so that she was forced to run as well.

Stumbling, Paige quickly caught her balance and began running for all she was worth. Throwing a glance over her shoulder, she gasped as she caught a glimpse of what they were trying to outrun as a dark shadow suddenly appeared on top of the pile of rocks where Chris had just been standing. Not waiting for a closer look, Paige scrambled after Chris, running into the deserted street.

A pack of fluid brown shapes seemed to stream towards them, gaining on them, faster and faster. Piper felt the hair on her neck stand on end, as she heard the howling behind her. She glanced back, but caught no more than a glimpse of a blurred group of bodies moving steadily towards them.

"Move! They're gaining on us!" Chris shouted, as he risked a look back over his shoulder, pausing to wait for Paige to catch up.

They were running as fast as they could, as they ran for their lives, tearing through the deserted city streets. Skeletons of houses and homes stood like tombstones along the sides of the streets. Leslie had a firm grip on Phoebe's hand, dragging her behind him as he ran at breakneck speed, leading the way. Leo was pushing Piper from behind, with Paige running along side them and finally, Chris brought up the rear.

"What are those things?" Phoebe panted, as Leslie continued to drag her behind him.

_Tracker demons. All they're good for is running. Well, running and killing, that is. Now shut up and run!_ Leslie answered her question telepathically, mind speaking to all of the Halliwells.

"Make for that building!!!" Chris yelled. In the distance, Paige could see the structure that Chris was referring to, the only one still standing intact on the devastated street. If they could reach it, they could hopefully be able to hold the demons off. She hadn't been able to get a good look at what they were running from, but the way Chris and Leslie were acting, she sure wasn't going to hang around to find out.

"Why...why can't we just...freeze them?...or orb to the building..." Piper gasped, her lungs burning, her body unused to the frantic running.

_They're protected against magical attacks. At least, direct magic, anyways. Your freezing or blowing up powers won't affect them. And we can't orb. We're in the dead zone. Orbing doesn't work here._ Leslie mind sent to all of them, answering Piper's questions. _Save your breath, you're going to need it._

"There isn't time to explain! Just run, damn it!" Chris cursed, as he could sense Piper's next question. Chris could see that Piper was barely keeping up, and Leslie was _literally_ dragging Phoebe behind him. He knew they would never make it to the shelter before the demons caught up to them, if he didn't buy them some time. _We're sitting ducks out here._

He skidded to a stop, tripping over his feet, frantically scanning the ground, looking for a weapon on the deserted city street; his eyes found one in the shape of a sign post laying on the ground, the stop sign hanging from its hinges, barely attached to the steel post.

"What the hell are you doing?" Paige screamed, turning back as she realized that Chris had stopped. She glanced back in the direction of her sisters, who continued running, unaware that the last two of their party had stopped. Turning her attention back to her nephew, Paige opened her mouth to yell at him, when..._Oh my god – _

They were hideous. Granted, most demons were on the ugly side, but these...these looked like some kind of walking nightmare; except they were running on two feet. Their heads reminded Paige of the vulture demons, but the demon yellow eyes were solely their own. Their bodies were a muddy brown, and as they neared, Paige could see their hides were covered with scales.

Ignoring her, Chris watched the pack race towards him, eyeing them carefully. He could feel the ground beneath them tremble from the impact of the demons as they pounded towards them. The pack moved in a close knit formation, much like a pack of hunting hounds. _And we're the fox_, Chris though wryly.

He waited, _focused_, and then using his telekinesis, hurled the steel post as far as he could – just as the leader of the pack seemed to leap up, right into post's path, and watched as the post buried itself in the demon's throat.

Soundlessly, the leader fell beneath the feet of the rest of the demons. Not waiting to see the results, Chris whipped around, catching Paige's hand and ran for the abandoned building for all he was worth. With their leader gone, the pack stopped their breakneck chase, to mill aimlessly around their leader.

_Good thing those things are as dumb as a doorknob. I'd hate to think what would happen if they were fast AND smart._ Chris shuddered, as they scrambled into the decrepit store. _It'll take them a bit to get it sorted out._ Leslie slammed the door shut behind them, as soon as Chris entered.

_All right, now what?_

The abandoned store was dark, with little light due to the mere two windows next to the main door. It looked like it had been some sort of grocery store at one point in its past. Empty shelves lined the walls, covered in dust. Chris looked around, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness. He could hear his mother berating him for lagging behind, but he ignored her, his entire being focused on trying to figure out how to get out of this situation with everyone intact. The light revealed a thick blanket of dust, now disturbed by their footprints. Broken pipes and glass littered the floor. His eyes moving, he noted the thickness of the concrete walls with satisfaction, for it would force the demons to enter through the main entrance, leaving them with only one entry point to worry about.

"If they're protected from magical attacks, how are we going to stop them?" Phoebe asked, worriedly, as she puffed in exhaustion.

"We don't. We kill them," Chris spotted a door at the back of the room, which he quickly moved towards. Wrenching the door open with his telekinesis, his eyes searched the room, which was empty, save for a couple of metal shelves. "We'll hide in here." Gesturing with his hand, he indicated to his family to duck inside what appeared to be a storage room.

"Chris," Leslie called, from his spot by the window, where he was cautiously peeking out. "They're approaching," Leslie turned, to make eye contact with Chris. "We need to make a stand."

Nodding his agreement, Chris turned to his parents, "Stay in here. Les and I are going to take out as many as we can. If you can, make a break for the front door. Look for a manhole and get into the sewers. Once you're there, just head west, towards the city centre. That's where you'll find the base."

"What about you?" Piper asked, desperately grabbing on to her son's arm. "What do you mean, if we can make a break for it? What's going on?"

"Chris – let me help," Leo pleaded.

Chris gently shook his mother's hand off his arm and placed her hand in Leo's. "Like I said, they're protected against magical attacks. We need to do this the old fashioned way. Dad – I need you to protect mom and her sisters if...Look if something happens, just remember - go for the throat! The underbody is covered with soft skin, unlike the bony hide plates that covered the rest of the demons' bodies. That's their area of weakness."

Before Leo could respond, Leslie urgently called, "Chris! I think they're going to make their move!"

Picking up a broken pipe from the floor, Chris gently tossed it to Leslie and reached down to grab another for himself. "Les -"

Catching the metal pipe, Leslie nodded. "I got your back."

"Stay here," Chris growled to his family, and moved forward to meet their attackers. He could hear his mother and aunts protest vehemently, but he ignored them, knowing that Leo's sense of duty would ensure that the sisters stay put. In the background, he could hear Leo explain to them that they needed to remain calm.

Moving past Phoebe, Chris suppressed his emotions; fear for his family, for himself, temporarily evaporated, as he forced it to the back of his mind and replaced it by a cool detachment.

He couldn't afford to be distracted.

His world narrowed to his enemies and himself, as his mind blanked out all distractions and shut out all emotions. He hadn't always been this way, but like so many, the war with Wyatt had changed him.

_Here it comes_ – and his heart skipped a beat...

The door burst open, and the first of the wiry demons entered into the building. The small entrance forced the demons to enter one by one, working to the humans' advantage. Snarling, it drifted to a halt just inside the door, its gleaming eyes scanning the room, sighting him. A second demon appeared behind the first, trying to push its way inside, and a third not far behind.

The two demons rushed him.

_Crap!_

He ducked away from a ferocious looking claw as the first demon tried to swipe at him; diving to his right, Chris quickly rolled to his feet and decapitated one of the demons, using his telekinesis to shove the pipe through the demon's soft spot like a crude saw. Two more came for him, their vicious claws slashing at him, but Leslie got in a kick that distracted the first and Chris fatally disemboweled the second with the pipe when it couldn't move out of the way fast enough, lodging the pipe deep in its stomach.

Piper screamed a warning, and he ducked the one that Leslie had kicked; motioning again with his telekinesis, two pieces of metallic shelving rose off the floor, slamming into the demon, effectively crushing the demon's skull between the two metal plates.

Trembling with exhaustion, Chris shook the sweat out of his eyes, focusing on his enemy. Back-pedaling, he twisted to one side, as a fourth demon entered the building and came at him, barely missing it's claws slicing at him. Springing back up onto his feet, he felt the broken glass beneath his palms, his hand closing around one of the nearby bits as he blindly searched for a piece that he could use as a weapon. Chris turned to meet the demon as he found and shoved a piece of broken glass the size of a book at the demon, it's jagged edge slicing into the creature's throat area. The demon clawed at the piece of glass, until, with a final choking sound, it keeled over and died.

The slight wind he felt on his neck made Chris duck instinctively, as a fifth demon slashed at him from behind; Chris hissed in pain as, he ducked too slow, the demon's deadly claws catching one of his shoulders. Ignoring the growing fire in his shoulder, he used his telekinesis to fling the first thing that came to hand at the demon.

Dust.

Obviously, it didn't do any damage, but it did blind the demon long enough. Long enough for Chris to take the initiative and _launch_ himself at the demon. Catching it off guard, he grappled with the demon, sacrificing his mobility for the one chance to get it close and –

As its claws extended in frustration, Chris pulled one of its arm towards him, twisted and spun around; at the last moment, Chris shoved the demon's claws deep into its own throat, effectively cutting off the demon's air passage. Pushing the body away, Chris staggered back a few steps, and watched as it looked up at him, clearly stunned by its defeat by its own hand.

Across the room, Leslie was holding his own against another demon, and even seemed to be regaining a little ground.

_I have to help him_, Chris thought. Chris concentrated and, using his telekinesis, threw another jagged piece of glass at the demon's throat.

It missed, bouncing off its arm plating. The demon didn't even noticed, as Leslie, his eyes focused on the demon, tripped over a rock and fell to the floor.

Swearing, Chris frowned in concentration again, using his telekinesis to pick up his chosen weapon again.

With one fell swoop, the demon lunged, swiping at Leslie and catching hold of his leg in its claws. Leslie screamed in pain, kicking out at the demon's claw with his other leg and beating its head with the metal pipe as he desperately tried to free himself.

Chris ignored the cries coming from Phoebe, as she rushed forward to try to help Leslie, even though she would never reach him in time. He waited, dispassionately, for his target to hold still – and then, _threw._

The pane of glass shot through the air, practically whistling. The sharp noise from the glass shooting through the air ended abruptly, as it embedded itself in the soft skin of the demon's throat. The creature fell over sideways, barely missing crushing Leslie beneath its body weight. With a last gurgle, it choked on its own blood as the demon died. Leslie's eyes were streaming with tears of pain, as he sent a grateful glance at Chris, "Thanks."

Nodding, Chris looked around for more demons.

There weren't any more.

Phoebe rushed over to Leslie, tenderly holding his head in her lap, as Leo quickly rushed over to heal him. Piper stared at her son, having never witnessed him fight so brutally, certainly not in the past. As she meet his eyes, her heart ached at the coldness in his stare. She watched as the coldness faded, as he regained awareness of his surroundings, wincing and he broke off eye contact with her.

Paige gasped, as she pointed at Chris' hand, "Leo, he's bleeding!" Blood was gushing from both his shoulder and from his palm, onto the floor, where the glass had sliced deep when he had shoved it into one of the demons' throat. Adrenaline still pumping through his veins, he hadn't even noticed the gash during the fight. But with his heart returning to normal, and the rush from the adrenaline fading, he felt the full force of the open wound in his hand, as well as the slash in his shoulder. Lightheaded, he sagged just a bit, closing his eyes as a wave of pain and exhaustion hit him.

"Yeow! Dad!" Chris yelled, as Leo grabbed Chris' shoulder and hand none too gently in his haste to heal his son's wounds. Piper's face had taken on a greenish hue, taking in her son's injuries. She watched the blood gushing from her son's wounds slow to a drip before stopping completely, as Leo completed his healing.

"You okay?" Leo glanced at his son. At Chris' nod, he moved back to Leslie's side, kneeling beside him again, "How about you? The leg okay?"

Leslie nodded weakly. He was perfectly fine, but he made no move to lift his head from its coveted place in Phoebe's lap. He closed his eyes for just a minute, to savour the moment.

It didn't take long for the moment to pass.

"Phoebe," Chris knelt down so that he was on eye level with his aunt. "You know he's going to be okay, right?"

As she sniffed, Phoebe nodded. "I know. I just..."

Chris cut her off, "Don't ever disobey me again."

In bewilderment, Phoebe stared at her nephew. His soft tone told her he was deadly serious.

"Don't talk to your aunt that way!" Piper glared at her son, recovered from her passing sickness from all the violence.

Chris sighed, and standing up, he turned to his mother, "I won't apologize. When Phoebe dashed out of her hiding place, she put herself in danger. I had to worry about Les _and_ her. You don't know how things work here and you not only put yourself in danger when you don't listen to me, you put all of us in danger. We've tumbled into an unsafe part of the city, and frankly, I don't have time to explain my actions to you." Sighing again, he ran his hand through his hair in frustration, "Look, I'm sorry if you don't like it, but you _can't_ hesitate to follow my orders or Les'. It may very well mean our lives, but yours as well." Chris raised his eyes to look directly into his mothers, pleading, "You have to understand. Things are different here."

Leo and the sisters exchanged glances, feeling confused, and a little bit afraid, as the gravity of the situation began to sink it. Intercepting their looks, Leslie reassured them, "We don't mean to scare you, but Chris _is_ right. Things are different here. We're at _war_. And a split second makes all the difference, as you can see." He nodded at the pile of demon carcasses.

Paige nodded, on behalf of her sisters and Leo, grudgingly, "Alright. We get it. We obviously don't know what's going on here." As Chris heaved a sigh in relief, he rolled his eyes when Paige suddenly grinned, "But that doesn't mean we won't bitch about it later."

"And what the _hell_ were those things? Why won't magic work on them?" Piper demanded.

"They're demons. Or sort of," Leslie sighed, looking at Chris, who's face was completely shuttered. Knowing that the explanations fell to him, he tried to explain, "Wyatt – he's somehow used his magic to 'twist' these things."

"What?" Paige was puzzled. "I don't get it."

"They're demons that Wyatt has 'worked' on, so he can give them new attributes, generally dangerous ones. In this case, enhanced speed and agility. And best of all, resistant to direct attacks of magic. The Resistance hasn't been able to find anything to counteract their magical protection yet, but we're working on it." Leslie nodded to towards what was left of the demons. "He generally gets his –volunteers – from lower level demons who don't have much in the way of power, so they're useless to him anyways. Lucky for us that he had to give up one area of protection to get another. Let's just hope the day never comes when he perfects his magical constructs. "

"That's...that's perverse! Twisted!" Phoebe's face whitened, aghast. "I mean, demons are bad enough already. But to...to _change_ them? That goes against every law of nature! Why would Wyatt do such a thing?"

"Because he can," Leslie said, sardonically. "Welcome to the future."

As Leo and the sisters gaped at him, Chris shot Leslie a dirty glance from beneath his lashes, "You've said enough. Let's stick to the agenda. How are you feeling? We need to move, now."

"Good as new. Thanks," Nodding his thanks to Leo, Leslie gingerly rolled to his side, and stood up, offering a hand to Phoebe so she could do the same.

"Whoa! You need to take a moment, doesn't he Leo? Just because you're healed, doesn't mean you can just take off again!" Phoebe protested, concerned, placing her hand in Leslie's and allowing him to pull her up.

Chris and Leslie exchanged a side look, before Chris revealed, "We need to move, now. These demons, they're just the first wave. They scout ahead, and when they don't return..."

"Another group will be hot on their heels," Leslie finished. Grabbing Phoebe's hand, he exited the building and began jogging towards what was left of the downtown core.

"You mean there's going to be more of those things?" Phoebe squeaked, allowing herself to be pulled along.

At Chris' nod, they all put a little bit more pep into their pace.

Paige's voice wailed in the wind, "So tell me _why_ we can't orb, again?"

To be continued....


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks for the reviews... I was a little nervous posting my first action chapter. I'm glad it went over okay, as I am planning another one in the near future. But for now, a change of pace to set the stage for the next plot arc...

Calen: Definite learning happens in this chapter and the next.

Cat: Yeah, I kind of like him take charge too, but we'll see how long that lasts...

Story Diva: Thanks! I too hope the sisters and Leo will start to u/s why our neurotic whitelighter is the way he is.

Sailorwind: Glad you liked the last couple of chapters. Hmmm, now that you mentioned it, Les is indeed her junior...talk about robbing the cradle! May need to rethink that relationship...

Ilovedrew88: Thanks! I didn't think it was too violent either, but I thought I'd err on the side of caution and give everyone the heads up.

Teal-lover: Oh, I'm so happy you thought it was worth the wait. Definite encouragement for me to try another action chapter.

Eimaj: Wow! (blushes)

Alexis Rose: I hope they sound ugly...they were suppose to! Will update ASAP (salutes)

Pukah: As you noticed, there's a definite nod to John Conner in my story, hence the title, so you're not the only one who needs pills, heehee.

California Chick: Thanks! I was really nervous posting my first attempt at true 'action.'

* * *

Chapter 11

They had been moving through the streets for what seemed like forever. If Leo hadn't had that glimpse of the future from being in Chris' mind, he would never have believed that this was the future. Although Leslie had assured Leo and the girls that it was, indeed, day, it certainly didn't seem that way to him. Leslie had explained that the destruction of the city had led to the debris and resulting atmospheric dust that seemed to blanket the entire area. The sun's rays barely penetrated the perpetual clouds of dust, and instead enhanced the sinister feel in the air. Leo shuddered. He couldn't imagine Chris living here, let alone willingly returning after experiencing the past.

"Tell me again why we can't orb to the Resistance's base?" Paige whined, panting as she trudged behind Leslie. "Can we take a break? I'm dying here, people. What is this? A marathon?"

The pace that Leslie and Chris had set had been relentless; Leo and the girls were soaked to the skin in their own sweat, in their attempt to keep pace. Piper noted with annoyance that neither Leslie nor Chris had even broken a sweat. In fact, her son's expression clearly indicated his annoyance with what he obviously felt was a snail's pace. _At least,_ she smiled sourly to herself, _he knows not to nag us to move faster. _

"Okay, ouch!" Phoebe yanked her hand from Leslie's and abruptly sat down on the ground. Embracing the reprieve, Paige and Piper collapsed next to her, exhausted. "Cramp, I've got a cramp. Leo!"

Leo sat down next to Piper, smiling slightly, "Phoebe, I can't heal a cramp."

"I know, I know. I just thought I'd ask," she grumbled. Leslie opened his mouth, looking around nervously, but Phoebe cut him off. "I am NOT moving from this spot. Not for at least five minutes. I don't CARE if those demons show up again. I bloody need to catch my breath."

Snapping his mouth closed, Paige didn't miss the questioning look Leslie threw at Chris, who nodded imperceptibly. _Interesting...he needs Chris' approval?_

"I'm going to take a look around...make sure the perimeter is clear." Chris told them. "Stay here." And he took off, before anyone could protest.

Leslie knelt beside Phoebe, who rubbed her calf, wincing in pain and sucking in deep breaths into her burning lungs. Brushing her hands aside, Leslie massaged her calf gently, trying to work out the muscle cramp.

Paige smirked as she and Piper exchanged a sideways glance at Leslie's 'friendliness.'

"So back to my question..." Paige reminded Leslie, before Piper could butt in, "Why can't we just orb to your base?"

"Because there's a spell on the whole base and the surrounding area. No one can orb in or out. It also means that no demons can shimmer in or out," Leslie explained, as Paige's eyes lit with understanding. "Yeah, we lose out on convenience, but at least we can't be taken by surprise. We gain a hell of a lot more than we give up, I think."

"Nice. I guess you guys don't have to worry about getting enough exercise," Phoebe joked weakly.

Leslie smiled, "Funny. That's what Chris always said too."

"And just where did he go?" Leo asked. "I've noticed he keeps disappearing to 'scout' the area every once and awhile. Does he think those demons are tracking us?"

Leslie nodded. "He wants to make sure they're not on our tail. I think he's been covering our tracks as well, and laying some false ones to confuse them. No offense, but at the rate you guys move, if he wasn't doing that, we'd probably be the main course at the demon feast already."

"If that's your subtle way of telling me I'm out of shape, believe me, I solemnly swear to start going to the gym when we get back to our own time," Paige groaned, as she stretched her legs.

"So any ideas on how we're going to get back to our time?" Piper asked, anxiously, as Leo squeezed her head reassuringly. "I'm worried about Wyatt and Chris in our time. We need to get back to them."

"Like I mentioned before, how about a spell?" Paige suggested, helpfully.

"I don't remember you mentioning that?" Phoebe questioned, perplexed.

"Yep. Right before the whole running for our lives thing happened. I said that we could try a spell," Paige explained.

"The spell sounds like the best bet," Leslie nodded. "But first, I think we need to get back to base, where it's secure."

"Secure? You know, that sounds suspiciously military like. What do you mean 'secure'?" Phoebe asked, standing up to stretch.

"Since the spell doesn't let us orb or demons to shimmer, it forces everyone to make their way to base by foot. But it also means that this area is a hot bed of demon activity. That's what Chris meant when he said we'd tumbled into an unsafe part of the city. This place is overflowing with demons, who are hoping to catch anyone, just like us, trying to make their way back to home base." Leslie explained. "That's why we have to keep moving."

Blanching at the thought of running into more demons, Piper opened her mouth to question Leslie further when she saw her son reappear out of the corner of her eye. "Where have you been?" she demanded, relief quickly changing to anger fueled by worry.

Ignoring her, Chris gestured for the group to stand up. "Let's go. I found our ticket in, about three blocks from here. Abandoned office building. Should give us access to the tunnels." He shifted nervously from foot to foot, glancing around. "I'll feel better once we're out of sight."

Leslie nodded, getting to his feet. "Sounds good. Any sign of demon activity?"

Chris shook his head. "But that doesn't mean they aren't there. We need to be really careful."

* * *

Although the building they were heading to was a mere three blocks away, Chris had insisted that they move stealthily, to avoid detection. Dodging in and out of abandoned homes, and sticking to the shadows, made for slow progress indeed. Also contributing to the slow pace was Chris' insistence that he 'scout' ahead, and then double back to pick them up. Piper had protested, but Chris had simply ignored her. Leo didn't like the idea of his son scouting ahead alone, but, as Chris had so conveniently impressed on him, he had to take care of Piper and her sisters.

High-pitched whines from energy balls being hurled sounded in the distance. Clearly, there was demon activity all around, but luckily, they hadn't run into any after their encounter with the trackers. Leo was reminded grimly of his time when he was mortal, fighting in the war. The ground had trembled beneath the pounding of the mortars, and the never-ending sound of gunfire. It was an experience that he had hoped his sons would never have to experience in their lives.

"Hey," Chris said, softly, suddenly appearing next to him.

"Hey," Leo responded, just as softly, his eyes rapidly running over his son's person, searching for any wounds.

Chris rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, _dad_. Don't worry. If I'm bleeding, I'll tell you, okay? Until then, just back off."

"Chris, I'm your father." Leo told him in no uncertain terms, "I'm _suppose_ to worry, remember?"

Avoiding Leo's eyes, Chris pretended not to hear, and instead looked at the others, arching his eyebrow, questioning, "Ready to go?"

At their nods, Chris led them through the street, keeping their path strictly in the shadows casted by the numerous destroyed skyscrapers. Waving them ahead, Chris gestured for them to enter one of the sturdier looking structures on the street.

To Piper, it was just another damaged building, like the others scattered throughout the entire city. It was hard to believe that the sad cluster of ruined buildings had once proudly graced the skyline of San Francisco in her time. As they entered the building, she noticed how the ground floor was completely and utterly smashed. The marble floors were cracked, and a layer of dust and dirt seemed to dust the entire area. Plaster hung from the ceilings, and any wallpaper that wasn't scorched beyond recognition was peeling drunkenly from the walls.

Chris bypassed it all, without a second's hesitation, heading straight for the emergency staircase at the back. He yanked the door open, revealing only darkness.

"How are we going to go down there?" Piper asked, concerned. "There's no light!"

Chris moved forward, gesturing to them to follow as he started to descend into the darkness, pausing only to recite a quick spell. He opened his hand, feeling the magic swirl around his palm, making it glow with a brilliant white light. He smiled with grim satisfaction, as the light from his magic highlighted the darkness better than an artificial light could. Glancing back over his shoulder, he arched his eyebrow at his family, "Coming?"

Phoebe cringed, as she entered the staircase. The light from Chris' hand, while ample, didn't reach past the first couple of landings. It literally looked like they would have to descend into darkness. The imagery was not lost on her.

"Not afraid, are you?" Paige joked, as she passed her sister to trot after Chris. Leo and Piper went next, leaving Phoebe and Leslie to bring up the rear. Landings broke up the staircase, with a door leading off each landing. Chris ignored these, and continued to lead them further and further to the bottom.

Approaching the fifth landing, Chris could make out a weak light shining through the door. Gripping the doorknob of the exit door with his hand, he opened it cautiously. Peeking out, he scanned the area quickly with his eyes and shoved the door open completely when he was sure it was safe.

While the sisters and Leo had seen Chris' vision of the future, they hadn't really paid attention too much to their surroundings, their focus wrapped up in locating Chris at the time. Nothing prepared them for the sight that greeted them. The landing had opened into a two-tiered foyer, with multiple tunnels running off in every direction into the distance on the second floor. Below them, the ground level's steel floor was dull with dust. Lights flickered on and off, contributing to the moving shadows against the walls. It was like they had stepped into a ghost town. It was empty...silent...dark.

"Where are we?" Paige asked, nervously, as her voice seemed to echo and bounce off the walls of the deserted hall.

_We're in the tunnels. _Leslie mind spoke to everyone, answering Paige's question. _These tunnels used to be part of an underground shopping concourse. After the destruction of the city, we retreated here, to step up base. It gives us shelter from the environment above, and the layout of the tunnels is pretty complicated. Helps us keep the demons out._

Suddenly, a piece of the ceiling broke off, crashing to the ground in front of Phoebe, who let out a terrified squeak, as Leslie yanked her out of the way.

"Is it safe to be in here?" Leo asked worriedly, as he eyed the unstable ceiling above them.

_Safer in here, than up there._ Leslie grinned. _Trust me._

"Very funny, haha." Chris glared sourly. "Listen. Because of all the destruction up world, not all the tunnels are safe. Keep an eye out for falling debris, okay? And keep your voices down." Turning his back to his parents, he continued forward through the tunnels. The glow from his hand disappeared, as he released his magic, judging that the limited lighting along the walls would be enough. Instantly, the area seemed to become incredibly gloomy, the flickering lights contributing just enough light to see a mere few feet ahead of them.

"Hey!" Paige exclaimed, as she stumbled forward. "Why'd you turn out the lights?"

"It's safer this way. Keep your voice down, there could be demons lurking about," Chris' voice was soft and low, gently reprimanding Paige.

_Chris – don't worry, I told them we're here. Darryl is sending a scout party to meet up with us and clear the way. _Leslie winked at Paige, as he directed his thoughts to everyone.

"They know we're here?" Chris' voice was still low.

I've been in contact with base camp, once we entered into the staircase. That's why we haven't run into any scouts yet. Darryl has them clearing the way ahead. Leslie shrugged. They should be here any minute.

"Ah, what about us?" Leo looked at Leslie and then Chris, who both stopped to look back at Leo questioningly. "Are they expecting us? I hate being the voice of reason here, but what about future consequences?"

Paige rolled her eyes, "I think we've pretty much screwed the whole future consequences thing, you think?"

Chris nodded curtly. "You've seen too much as it is, there's no point in trying to shield you from anything else. But we should keep it to a minimum." He directed a glare at Leslie, _Relay ahead and tell them to keep their traps shut, okay?_

Nodding, Leslie frowned as he concentrated, and sent the message ahead. _They're expecting us._

Piper yelled out a yelp, as suddenly, a man appeared in front of her, seemingly materializing out of the darkness. Dressed all in black, he had blended in with the shadows. Backing away quickly, she came up short, as she bumped into Leo. Throwing her hands up to freeze the man, he just quirked his eyebrow at her. "What?!? How come he didn't freeze?"

"Because he's one of us, Piper," Sighing, Chris moved forward, yanking his mother's hands down. "How are you, Duncan?" he asked, his voice no longer whispering. "Everything all clear?"

"Piper? What happened to mom?" Piper glared at her son, who ignored her as he clasped hands with 'Duncan.'

"I'm good, Chris. Better now that you're here. We intercepted Darryl's message on the way back from our shift. The passage way is all secure," Duncan nodded, professionally. As he took in the rest of Chris' group, Duncan's eyes suddenly widened in disbelief, "Ms. Matthew?"

"I thought you said they were expecting us?" Chris glowered at Leslie, who shrugged innocently.

"We are. But we weren't... I mean, he did. I mean, Zachery said there were others with you, it's just..." Duncan jumped in, hastily. "It's just, I wasn't expecting, I mean..."

"Thanks, I think." Paige grinned. "Call me Paige, please. Kind of weird when someone who looks older than you calls you by your surname, you know? You seem familiar...Duncan? Do I know you?" Paige's brows beetled, as she tried to place the man. Suddenly, something clicked in her mind, as she asked in disbelief, "Duncan! Are you the Duncan that conjured Lady Godiva in Magic School?"

Blushing, Duncan looked down, embarrassed, "That was a really long time ago."

Chris shook his head, putting up his hand. "Enough. You can have the reunion later." Turning his attention back to Duncan, Chris questioned, "Where's the rest of the team?"

Duncan looked up, all business, and nodded over his shoulder, behind him, "The rest of the team is securing the way back. We ran into a couple of brute demons, but we took care of them."

"Good work." Chris said, praising the other man.

"You mean there are others?" Phoebe questioned, still hanging back with Leslie, unsure of herself.

"No one works alone," Leslie explained, aloud, as he no longer had to be concerned about demons surprising them in the tunnels, thanks to Duncan and his team. "That's the rule. We work in teams. It's why trust is so important."

"Well!" Piper directed a glance at her son, "That's certainly a different tune. Who came up with that brilliant deduction?"

"Chris did," Duncan looked puzzled. "We all work in teams. Usually teams of two, but it can be as large as five, depending on what's needed."

"I need a status report," Chris said, mainly to cut off any other questions from the girls. "Get Zach to bring Les and I up to speed."

"Oh, but I could tell –," Duncan broke off, as he realized Chris wanted the report telepathically. "Riiiggghhhtttt....I'll tell him." And he jogged off into the darkness.

"Let's go," Chris trotted after Duncan, not waiting to see if the rest of them followed him.

"Is it just me, or is that one incredibly grumpy nephew?" Paige asked no one in particular.

"He's home, Paige." Les answered, anyways. "He's not grumpy...he's just – home."

* * *

The 'Zach' that Chris had mentioned, turned out to be another future student of Paige's. In fact, all the girls knew him, as he was the teen who Piper had had to turn into a frog at one point. With a grin, the 37 year old had assured the shocked girls that he was much better behaved now.

Chris led the way through the seemingly endless tunnels. Duncan was next to him, whispering softly, so that no matter how hard the sisters tried, they couldn't make out a word he was saying. Chris nodded every once and awhile, but otherwise, was silent.

Paige glared daggers at Chris' back, annoyed at his high handedness. Zachary, who was walking next to Paige, had been on the verge of striking up a conversation with his former teacher, when he had fallen silent after interpreting the glare directed at him from Chris. After that, none of the scout team had made conversation with the sisters and Leo, except to answer direct questions, and even then, in monosyllabic words. She was sure it was Chris' fault that the other scouts were so reluctant to speak with them. If Chris knew how irritated she was with him, he certainly did not give any such indication.

Piper and Leo walked, hand in hand, silent observing everything around them, and watched their son very closely, as he continued to lead the way. Two scouts walked on either side of them, their eyes and ears alert for trouble. Phoebe and Les brought up the rear, with Les acting as the 'guard'.

Forty-five minutes later, the sisters, Leo, Les, Chris and the rest of the scout team entered the base, after passing through the heavy steal door. The enormous underground structure of steel and reinforced concrete that housed the Resistance and the innocents they protected was exactly as Chris had shown them in his mind.

With one difference.

It was bustling with people, practically bursting at the seams, buzzing with activity.

Chris paused on the threshold, as he took in the scene. It was so different from the horror he had so recently experienced. The future, at least, certainly to his parents, seemed grim, but to him, it was home.

It felt...good...to be home.

And there was Darryl, standing in front of him, the heavy circles under his eyes showing the stress he had been under, and his thin body indicating the difficulties he had experienced. But it was all eclipsed by the genuine smile that greeted Chris.

"Chris. Welcome back," Darryl strode forward, clasping Chris in a hug. "It's good to see you, son."

"It's good to see you too, old man," Chris joked, as he returned the heartfelt hug. He stepped back from the older man, grinning, "More gray hair, I see."

"Very funny," Darryl moved past Chris, smiling at Leo and the sisters, who were openly staring at him. "Don't I get a hug?"

"It's just...I mean...you like so much like _our_ Darryl," Paige explained, in wonder. "I mean, I know you're _our_ Darryl, but I mean, you know, the Darryl from our time. But not. You know?"

Darryl shrugged. "How about we settle for hello?"

Suddenly, Phoebe launched herself at Darryl, hugging him tightly. "Does this mean you forgive us later?"

Letting out a short bark of laughter, Darryl hugged Phoebe back. "Let's just say, Chris makes me see the light, okay?"

Piper pushed her sister gently out of the way to kiss Darryl on the cheek, while Leo gripped his hand tightly in his own. "It's good to see you."

Stepping back to allow Paige to greet Darryl, Piper noticed over his shoulder that Chris was surrounded by a small group of people, which was steadily growing. She heard a young girl squeal, and watched as Chris picked up a young child from the ground, hugging her to him. He was talking absently to someone in the thickening crowd, while the little girl pulled gleefully at his hair with both her hands. Even as Piper stood there watching, the crowd continued to build at a quickening pace.

"I'd better go rescue him, or we'll never get to the command central," Darryl excused himself, as he pushed his way through the throngs. Right behind him, Leslie, Duncan, Zach and the other scouts entered the crowd, pushing their way to the middle, towards Chris.

"Okay folks. We know you're all excited to see him, but you'll get a chance later." Darryl announced, as the crowd began to protest. "We need to bring him up to speed folks, please."

Darryl gestured to one of the scouts, who reached for the little girl in Chris' arms, taking her from him, to lead her back to her mother. The other scouts quickly fell in formation around Chris, jostling their way gently through the crowd, to escort him away. Noting that Chris was in good hands, Leslie emerged from the cheering crowd, to jog over to where Leo and the sisters were standing alone.

He grinned at their stunned expressions. "Yeah. They love him."

"It's kind of like he's a rock star or something," Paige noted, clearly astonished.

Piper and Leo were speechless, their mouths hanging open in disbelief, as they watched the crowd of several hundred people surround their son with outstretched arms, even as he was moving away, clearly trying to grasp a piece of him. "It's unreal."

Leslie looked at Chris' parents, gently chiding them, "Is it really? Is it so hard to believe that so many people rely on him? Look up to him? Love him? I told you before. He's needed here."

"I guess we're just used to seeing him as our little neurotic whitelighter first, and then as family. It never really occurred to me what he's like here," Paige nodded, indicating her surroundings.

Recovering her scattered wits, Piper looked wistfully at her son's back, as she watched Chris disappear into one of the corridors leading away from the main hall. "Do you think we could go with him?"

Leslie noted with satisfaction that Darryl and the scouts had escorted Chris away, and the crowd was beginning to disburse. He smiled at the buzz of excited voices, and the hope he heard in them. Soon, it would be all over the base that Chris was back. Things were looking up. Turning back, he saw the wistfulness in Piper's eyes, "Come on. I'll take you to the command room."

* * *

Leslie led them up a winding staircase, a good two floors up from the level they had entered. Grinning, he held his hand to Phoebe, as she huffed and puffed the last couple of stairs, pulling her up onto the landing. "A little out of shape, aren't you?"

Groaning, Phoebe gave him her most evil glare, "You're just lucky I'm too exhausted to come up with a rhyme and summon a curse down on your head."

Choking back his laughter, he looked over her shoulder, as Paige, followed by Piper and Leo, struggled to the top. "You guys, okay?"

Paige nodded. "I would have thought that in the future you could just beam me up or something."

"At least there's gotta be some elevators around here or escalators?" Piper moaned, leaning on the handrail to catch her breath. "I mean, if we have them in the past, where the hell are they here?"

Leslie's smile faded, "We do have elevators and escalators in the future, Piper. But every ounce of energy our generators make go towards ventilation, lighting, water and other necessities. We don't have enough for conveniences."

"Well, I for one will never take orbing for granted, ever again," Paige sighed, leaning heavily against the wall. "I don't think I've ever gotten so much exercise in my entire life."

"Well, we're almost there, just across the catwalk and we'll be at the tower," Leslie waved his hand towards the cylinder-like building in front of them. It rose straight up the middle of the complex, stretching to the ceiling.

"What _was_ this thing, anyways?" Leo asked, looking around, as they slowly made their way across the grates that made up the bridge to the tower. "If I didn't know better, I'd think it was some sort of silo."

Leslie shrugged. "Actually, I think it use to house an amusement park ride. I'm not really sure. I'm not originally from the San Francisco area, after all. Most of the building is empty, and pretty much unusable, but the control room where they use to monitor the ride is what we use as command central now." As they neared the door to the control room, Leslie nodded at the two guards outside the door. "They're with me."

Nodding, the guard to his right opened the door, and gestured for the group to enter. Before slipping inside, Leslie turned back, "No talking here on in, okay? I'm not really sure what's going on, so let's try to be as inconspicuous as possible, okay?"

Surreptitiously, the group entered into the command room. If the base outside was practically buzzing with activity, then the air inside the command room hummed. Eerily similar to the room they had seen in Chris' mind during their trip to Hell, the room was jam-packed with people. Three men and two women were seated at the round table, in the centre of the room, where a glowing white crystal seemed to pulse with life. Eyes closed, expressions blank, they appeared to be in a trance.

"What are they doing?" Leo whispered to Leslie, nodding his head at the table.

_They're telepaths. They stay in contact with all the scout teams. All our scout teams have to have a telepath with them, so that they can send and receive orders from command._ Les 'mind sent' to Leo and the girls, trying to avoid drawing attention. _It's one of our greatest advantages, communications – one that Wyatt's armies of demons can't match. In this room, we know at any given moment what's happening out there, as long as there's a scout team in the vicinity. _

"What's with the crystal?" Phoebe asked, softly, entranced by the soft glow.

_It just helps them focus their thoughts. Nothing too special._ Leslie shrugged. _Any other questions?_

"Yes," Piper tilted her head in Chris' direction, "what exactly is my son doing?"

His back to them, he hadn't noticed his family enter the room with Les. Completely absorbed, he was staring at something pinned up on the wall. It looked like a huge map, with multi-coloured pushpins in clusters littering across the surface. Surrounding him, were a small group of people, who were chattering away in Chris' and Darryl's ears.

_He's been away for awhile. Duncan says it's been five months since Chris left for the past. They're bringing him up to speed. _Leslie explained.

"Oh my god...is that...is that Odin? And that guy looks familiar too!" Paige whispered, excitedly, as she pointed at the group huddling around Chris. "Actually, they all look kind of familiar."

Yep, that's Odin all right. He's one of the few elders still alive. He represents all the whitelighters and what's left of the elders. Personally, I think he's full of himself. The guy on the far left is Ben. He represents the witches. Good man. Riley represents all the magical beings. He takes his position really seriously. And Darryl represents all the mortals. They kind of form a council, making sure everyone's interests are properly represented. Chris isn't big on running the show single-handed. Makes for mistakes, he told me once.

Leo and the sisters watched as Chris shook his head at something Odin was saying, while Ben, clearly agitated, was waving his hands energetically as he tried to commandeer Chris' attention. Whatever it was, it must have been a sensitive topic, as the voices began to rise as each tried to be heard over the other.

"Are you even listening to what I'm saying?"

"You're age is showing, old man –,"

"There's no need..."

"Hey! Hello! This isn't a monologue! It's my turn to speak –,"

"Enough!" Darryl thundered, his deep voice commanding obedience immediately. They stared at Darryl, dumbfounded. "One at a time!"

Spinning around, Chris began to move towards the windows that overlooked the base, when something caught the corner of his eye. Slowly, he turned to settle his gaze on Leslie and his family, watching him warily. Striding forward, with a curt nod of his head, he indicated for them to follow him. Without a backwards glance, he told Darryl, "I'll be right back."

Leo and the sisters trailed after Chris and Leslie, following them to the back of the room. Standing to the side, they watched as Chris whirled on Leslie, glaring at him.

"Boy, if looks could kill –," Phoebe whistled, "Les would be one dead duck."

"What do you think he's so mad about? And why aren't they saying anything?" Piper glanced up at her husband, who was standing next to her, silently observing his son.

"I think they're doing that – mind speaking, telepath thing, again," Phoebe guessed.

Finally, Leslie broke eye contact, looking down at the floor, nodding. Chris heaved a sigh, running his left hand through his hair in agitation. Turning back to his family, but his eyes on Darryl and the others, "Les is going to take you to the magic room so you guys can make up that potion to get back to your time. I'll meet up with you guys, once I'm finished here." Still focused on getting back to the council, he brushed past his family.

"Hey!" Piper reached out and grasped Chris' arms as he tried to pass her. "Don't we get a say in any of this?" As Chris tried to shake her off, Piper's temper got the better of her. She was tired of her son always trying to avoid her. Hadn't they already resolved those issues? "Who do you think you are? Just where do you think you're going? I'm talking to you!"

"I don't have time for this," Chris managed to pry Piper's fingers off his arm. "Look, _Piper_, could you just go with Les and we'll talk about this later?"

Dropping his arm like it was on fire, Piper flinched at the cold tone her son directed towards her. Before she could muster up a retort, he was striding past, to take up where he had left off with the council. Her eyes boring into his back, she watched as he nodded at Riley, who began to espouse enthusiastically. She didn't miss the sympathetic look Darryl shot her, before turning his attention back to Chris. Piper looked sadly at her son, before turning back to her family. "I guess I'm not wanted here."

"Come on," Leslie said, gently. "We'll catch up with him later. I promise."

* * *

"What is this place?" Paige asked in wonder.

Leslie had led them back down into the base, somewhere that he called sub-level three. All Phoebe knew was that it was definitely deep inside the complex. Again, they had passed numerous guards on their way to the room in which they now stood. When Leo had commented on the intimidating 'guards' Leslie had explained that part of the base was secured off from 'civilians.'

The room, about the size of the family room in the Manor, was completed enclosed. Inside, bookcases and cabinets as tall as the ceiling ran around the room. A round table, with benches stood in the middle of the room.

"This is the magic room. All magical research is done here," Leslie nodded at the bookcases. "Those were the only books we managed to save from Magic School, before Wyatt took over the school. The cabinets should have all the potion making ingredients we need."

"Need?" Piper asked, absently, as she ran her hand along the bookshelves. The numbers of books in the room were just a handful of what she remembered seeing at Magic School in the past.

"To get you back to you time," Leslie told them. "Chris wants us to work on getting you home, ASAP."

"Good idea," Paige said. "No offense, but I really don't think I like this time at all."

"None taken," Leslie smiled, half-heartedly. "I'm not all that fond of it either."

"Well, how about Leslie and I work on trying to write the spell, and Paige, you and Piper work on the potion?" Phoebe suggested, helpfully. "That way, we'll have two choices, just in case."

Nodding her agreement, Paige moved over to the cabinets to start rummaging through the shelves for the ingredients she would need. Phoebe and Leslie began to pull books off the bookcases, researching. Unnoticed by her sisters, Piper remained where she was, leaning against one of the wall.

Leo moved towards Piper, noticing how quiet she was. Touching her elbow lightly, he asked, softly "You okay?"

A single tear slid down her cheek.

"What's wrong Piper?" Leo asked, concerned.

"He called me Piper." Piper focused her tortured eyes on Leo. "Why would he call me Piper? What did I do wrong?"

To be continued....


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Wow! I passed the 100 review mark! I can't believe it! (blushes) Thank you all so very much for the encouragement and comments. As a thank you, I've included a sneak peak of Chapter 13 at the end of this chapter...just a little something to say 'thanks!' for reading and reviewing.

Hoshi tamamushiirono: Thank you! I'm so happy you like it. I was afraid that everyone would get bored with yet another of my exploratory chapters.

Flephanie: Updating as fast as I can...I, too, would like to know what happens next, heehee!

Sailorwind: Thanks! I just hope that I can continue to keep your interest peaked.

Cat: Thanks! Yes – I think Chris IS getting a headache...because I know I am!

Buffspike: Completely humbled...I'll try my best.

Ilovedrew88: Yeah, Chris is so mean to her!

Ccharmed 24/7: I'm glad you love the story!

Drewfuller4eva: He is bossy, isn't he? ;-) I keep flashing back to the episode where he tells the girls not to put their personal lives in front of their wiccan ones...

Sickle Sword: Yep, the future sucks. Glad you're liking the story!

Rhia: Thanks – will definitely do my best.

Zeria: I'm glad the story could take you away from your research, if just for a bit.

Alexis Rose: Mystery explained in this chappie, I hope.

Zoned-out: I do want to update before the end of the weekend, unfortunately, you would then only get about half of a chapter, and a badly written one at that. Which is why it usually takes me a week to update...sorry! But I hope you'll still read...

Pukah: Heh, Buffy, eh? I really miss that show. Can't say I've seen stargate though. Hmmm, you know, it never occurred to me about relating Leslie to the Terminator movies...so definitely don't worry about that – Leo is, and always will be, Chris' father.

* * *

Chapter 12

"One teaspoon of black poppy..." Paige directed Piper, as Leo dutifully stirred the bubbling cauldron. "One _level_ teaspoon, Piper! Not a heaping one!"

"Who's the cook here?" Piper snapped. "Just tell me the next ingredient."

Raising her eyebrow at Piper's display of short temper, Paige glanced at Leo over her sister's head. He shrugged his shoulders, not sure how to tell Paige that Piper wasn't mad at her. Rather, his wife was upset with their son. Leo sighed. _We haven't even been in the future very long, and already Chris has regressed back to his smart ass ways._ _Just when I thought we had worked through all those issues. _Leo shook his head. Sometimes it was difficult to wrap his head around the fact that his 'adult' son had 20-odd years on his parents in terms of knowledge; Chris didn't hesitate to use this to his advantage by pushing all the right buttons – in Piper's case, calling Piper by her name, instead of 'mom' had been a calculated and deliberate slight, as far as Leo could tell.

"Hey, you guys just about done there?" Phoebe asked, raising her head from the book she currently had her nose buried in. "I think we've come up with a half decent spell, just in case."

"Mmmm...I think we're just about done here too," Paige began to transfer the potion into little vials. "Should we use the spell or potion?"

Leslie frowned. "I think a potion would be safer, but why don't we wait and ask Chris' opinion when he gets here?"

"Fine," Piper said, curtly. "In the meantime, what do we do until he gets here?"

"How about we catch up?" a new voice asked.

"Darryl!"

Smiling at Leo and the sisters, Darryl gently shut the door behind him, stepping into the magic room. "I seen you've made yourselves comfortable." His hand waved at the table, covered with open books and ingredients strewn across the surface, not a square inch available.

"Yeah, sorry," Paige smiled sheepishly. "We'll clean it up, I promise."

"Just make sure you put everything back where it came from. Ben's a bit of a fussy professor," Darryl grinned.

"I can't believe that was Ben! How many more of guys from Magic School are running around here?" Paige wondered.

Leslie began to stack the books on the table, tidying up. "Oh, quite a few actually. It's why your work at Magic School is so important, you know."

"See! I told you it was perfect for you," Phoebe felt justified, as Paige glowed with happiness.

"And how have you been, Darryl? How are Sheila and the children?" Leo asked.

Darryl's chest puffed with pride. "The kids are great. Although they're not kids anymore. Chris has them coordinating all the covert ops."

"Covert ops?" Leo questioned. "There's such a thing as covert ops?"

"Chris likes to keep his ear to the ground. For anything..." Leslie looked at Darryl for permission, before sharing. "We use a lot of...demon informants."

"That's why he was so comfortable with dealing with demons in the past! Don't the Elders have something to say about that? I mean, demons are demons, right?" Phoebe voiced, her tone accusatory.

Darryl sighed. "That's why they don't know. We...pay...them and they give us information. Fair exchange, all things considered. Only Chris and a couple of us know about this. Keep it to yourselves, okay?"

"I'm not sure I like the idea that my son deals with demons," Leo mused, aloud.

"Maybe when you've lost your family to demons, you can judge us," Darryl glared. "Must be nice, all safe and pretty on your pedestal."

Before Leo could muster a defense, Leslie put his hand on Darryl's shoulder, "Darryl – don't." Turning his attention back to Leo, "Darryl lost Sheila to Wyatt's demons three years ago."

"I'm sorry," Leo stuttered, as Phoebe placed a comforting hand on Darryl's arm.

Darryl shook his head. "They were betrayed. Sold out. She was on her way back from a foraging scout, and their team was ambushed. Outnumbered. The bastards were waiting for them," Darryl raised his eyes to meet Leo's. "This is a war, Leo. There's no honour when you fight with demons. It's dirty. So if I have to break the rules, deal with demons, or sell my soul in the process, I will. 'Cause at the end of the day, all that matters to me is protecting those I hold dear."

Unable to hold Darryl's reproachful gaze, Leo dropped his eyes to the floor. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Darryl sighed. "I didn't mean to accuse you of anything, Leo. I don't want to make you feel bad. I just want you to understand where I'm coming from, where Chris is coming from."

Clearing his throat, Leslie decided a change in topic was necessary. "Any word from up world?"

Darryl shook his head. "So far, everything is quiet. Couple of teams ran into some of those tracker demons, but they managed to lose them."

"Is it just me, or have there been more and more run-ins, lately?" Leslie asked, anxiously.

Darryl nodded. "Not your imagination. Just before you left, we got some intel from Phinks. We've been keeping an eye on them, and we think that's why Wyatt's been so quietly lately, magic wise. He's stockpiling."

"Stockpiling?" Piper asked, confused. "What do you mean?"

Leslie shuddered, "He means that Wyatt's getting ready to launch an army of those things."

"An army?" Phoebe gasped, horrified. Looking around, she saw similar expressions on Leo and her sisters' faces.

Darryl's eyes darkened, as he said grimly, "That's why we needed Chris. We think Wyatt's getting ready for the final showdown." Grimacing, Darryl glanced at his watch. "I have to go. But I'll see you guys tomorrow, okay?" Without a backwards glance, Darryl exited the room.

Leo and the sisters were still stunned. An army of those horrible demons? That magic didn't work on? That were near impossible to kill? How the hell did Darryl think Chris was going to stop them?

"He'll think of something," Leslie reassured them, correctly reading their facial expressions. With quiet confidence, "He always does."

"Come on, let me take you to Chris' quarters. I'm sure you guys are exhausted."

* * *

Leading them down the darkened hall, Leslie glanced back at the Halliwells in concern. Ever since Darryl had dropped his bomb on them, they had been depressingly pensive. Unsure of what to say to comfort them, Leslie chose to remain silent instead.

The former shopping mall had been retrofitted as much as possible to accommodate the Resistance and its human population. More than ten kilometers in length, the current corridor that they were passing housed most of the Resistance fighters. Previously stores, the units had been converted into quarters for the thousands inside the base.

Pausing at a heavy steel door, similar to those found in submarines, Leslie gripped the wheel, unlocking the door and swinging it open. Motioning for Leo and the sisters to enter, he waited for them to step inside before following them inside and shutting the door with a bang.

Inside Chris' quarters, Piper felt her curiosity overcome her current peeve with her adult son. The room, with a bed and a couch on opposing sides, wasn't much bigger than Piper's room at the Manor. She saw a framed photograph sitting on one of the shelves. She picked it up, instantly recognizing the couple in the photo as her son and Bianca. She gently touched the photo with her finger, noting that although both were smiling, there was an infinite sadness to their smiles.

Leslie was pointing to a small door at the back of the room, explaining that it was the bathroom. "You're lucky Chris is the head honcho. He's got his own bathroom...most of us have to share facilities."

"Okay...ewwww!" Phoebe wrinkled her nose. "There is a thing called oversharing, you know."

Rolling her eyes, Paige glanced around the room. "So this is where Chris sleeps?" The far wall was covered with papers, tacked in a haphazardly fashion. She walked toward it, as it begged for closer attention.

"Yep. I'll see if I can scrounge up another cot for you guys, and that should tide you over," Leslie nodded. "I'm sure Chris won't mind crashing on the couch."

"And just where is Chris?" Leo wondered. "I mean, it's been more than a couple of hours since we left him. I would have thought he'd have met up with us by now."

Leslie shrugged. "He's been gone five months...a lot can happen in five months, I guess."

"And that's another thing," Phoebe interjected. "Why has he been gone five months? I thought we would have traveled to the exact moment when Chris left, right? That's normally how these time travel thingys work, right Piper?"

"What? Oh, yeah," Piper said, absently, clearly not paying attention to what Phoebe was saying, as she continued to stare down at the picture in her hand. The picture looked to be at least a couple of years old – Bianca looking younger with a slightly chubby face, and Chris looking cute in sweater and jeans. Piper realized that though Chris had been practically been living with them for a year, she knew very little of his life in the future. _Just how long did they know each other?_

"Not sure," Leslie shrugged again, turning Phoebe's question over in his mind. "We'll have to ask Ben later – he may know. After all, he wrote his thesis paper on time portals."

"Impressive," Paige remarked, with a lift of her eyebrow, before turning her attention back to the wall in front of her.

"Piper," There was something in Paige's voice that made Piper jerk her head up, and quickly place the photo back on the shelf, before moving her way over to Paige.

"What is it?"

"You should really see this,"

Following Paige's gaze, Piper gasped.

The papers on the wall were photos. Dozens and dozens of photos were spread over the wall. Most of them were strangers to Piper. But the one that Paige was staring at was a photo of them. A little older, but Piper definitely recognized her features staring back at her.

"What is this?" Piper wondered, as she stepped back to get a better perspective. The photos seemed to radiate outwards from the middle, almost covering the entire surface of the wall. Some smiling, others somber, there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the odd collection littering the wall. As her gaze rested on a familiar face staring out at her, she felt a sickening feeling begin to build in her stomach. "God, no. Sheila..."

"Piper?" Leo rushed to wife's side, and wrapped his arms around her, concerned, as she sagged against him weakly. "What is it?"

"Gone but not forgotten," Leslie nodded, confirming Piper's instinct, as the sisters gasped. "It's his wall of memories. Lest we forget."

"Oh God. Oh my God." Piper moaned, as if in physical pain. _So much death. So much destruction._ Chris had been right. This wasn't the future. It was hell.

"It's okay, Piper. It's okay," Leo soothed, suppressing his own urge to shudder. "It's going to be okay, because we're going to change all this. Okay?"

Drawing in a shaky breath, Piper was grateful for Leo's strength, for she had never needed it more. "Right." She looked into her husband's eyes, "Promise me that this will never happen. That we won't _let_ it happen."

"I promise."

* * *

God, he was tired.

He hadn't even been back a full day, and already he felt exhausted. _Probably something to do with that four hour meeting_, Chris thought wryly. Odin and the others had quickly brought him up to speed; it was almost like he had never left. _In more ways than one._

The command room was now quiet with inactivity. A handful of telepaths sat at the table were the only ones left. Sighing, Chris moved away from the windows that overlooked the base, instead entering a small room that jutted off the one side of the command room. Entering it, he shut the door behind him, sagging against the door wearily.

The room was scarcely bigger than a closet; sparsely furnished to conserve space, a single lamp was suspended from the ceiling over a solitary desk. Two chairs completed the furnishings. Along the perimeter of the room, maps were pinned onto the walls, the only 'decoration' in the room. Pushing himself away from the door, Chris tiredly made his way to the chair behind the desk, sinking down into the seat. Picking up a sheet from one of the many piles on the desk, he began to read.

An hour later, he was still in the same position when Darryl found him. At the sound of the door opening, Chris glanced up from the report he had been reading to see Darryl enter the room.

"Hey," Darryl nodded. "All caught up yet?"

"Just about," Chris leaned back into the chair, indicating, with a wave of his hand, for Darryl to take a seat in the other. "What's up?"

"Just wanted to check up on you," Darryl made himself comfortable. "We haven't had a chance to catch up yet."

"Are you telling me I dreamed that whole four hour meeting?" Chris joked.

"More like suffered a nightmare," Darryl grinned back. "Seriously, Chris. What are you going to do about Leo and the girls?"

Picking up another report, Chris circled something on it with his pen, replying absently, "Les is taking care of it."

"Chris," Darryl leaned forward, putting his hand on top of the report, preventing Chris from reading it. "I just wanted to say...I'm glad you're back. We've really needed you. Wyatt is going to get us, and only he knows when. Everyone's been feeling the pressure. This calm...it's so deceptive...something's coming and we've got to be prepared."

"Thanks for the added pressure," Chris retorted, wryly. "You always know the right words to say to me."

Acknowledging Chris' need to inject a little levity, Darryl grinned, "What can I say?"

Chris continued to stare down at the papers, as if he could read them right through Darryl's hand. "You haven't asked me yet."

"Asked you what?" Darryl's brows furrowed.

Chris snorted. "Why I wasn't able to change the past."

"I figured you'd tell me when you were ready," Darryl pulled his hand back, picking up a pencil on the desk, twirling it carelessly.

"Pretty much screwed it up," Chris' voice was low, as he continued to stare down at his hands. "Obviously. I thought I stopped whatever turned Wyatt, but I guess I didn't. You were right. It was a waste of time. I should have never gone back."

"Yeah, you and I didn't see eye to eye on your trip to the past, but I understood. That's why I didn't protest more," Darryl looked at Chris' bowed head in sympathy. "Look, Chris. That's the way it goes sometimes," Darryl paused, picking his next words very carefully. "That's something the sisters taught me. Listen carefully to me, Chris. _You're not always going to be able to stand between another person and their fate._"

Jerking his head up, Chris flinched. From anyone else, Chris would have taken affront, but Darryl knew his feelings on destiny and fate. Those words had been chosen and spoken with deliberation.

Regretting voicing his opinion already, Darryl strove to break the tension. "Honestly though, Chris, we're glad you're back. Everyone is."

At that moment, the pressure on his chest was so great, Chris thought for a moment he was suffocating. Forcing himself to take a deep breath, "I'm not sure...I don't know...what can I do? I'm just one person." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I couldn't stop the past from happening, how can I change the future?"

"You may be one person, Chris, but you're a key one," Darryl patted Chris' arm, awkwardly. "It's people like you who make the universe turn, never doubt it. Everyone believes in you."

"They believe in me, just what I needed to hear. Great," Chris grimaced. Unsure of himself, he voiced his concerns, whispering, "I'm afraid, Darryl. I'm afraid that everyone is so confident, so trusting in me that...if I make one wrong move...no one will be able to see it. To tell me. To stop me."

"Do you honestly think Odin wouldn't put you in your place the first chance he got?" Darryl quirked his eyebrow at Chris.

Chris let out a self-deprecating laugh. "You're right. As always. Odin would have no problem telling me where to go the first chance he got."

"Then my work here is done," Darryl smiled, getting up from his seat. "I'll see you tomorrow. Get some sleep, Chris. You're going to need it."

* * *

Piper woke with a start. Cautiously, she looked over her shoulder to see Leo still sleeping soundly. Sitting up in bed, she glanced around the room. The gas lamp on the table had been dimmed, barely giving off enough light in the darkened room. Eyes searching, Piper looked at the other bed where her sisters lay sleeping. Her gaze rested on the couch in the corner.

It was empty.

Chris hadn't come back.

Granted, maybe he had decided to find somewhere else to sleep, given that his family had virtually taken over his space, but Piper doubted it. Earlier, Leslie had mentioned that they were tight on space, which was why he had to stick them all in Chris' quarters. There just weren't any empty rooms available. Fortunately, Chris' quarters were the largest, so they had plenty of space to crash. _Sometimes it paid to be related to the top guy,_ Piper thought dryly.

Carefully, she swung her legs down, and gently shifted the blankets as she slowly left the bed. She didn't want to wake Leo or her sisters. It had been a long day, starting with rescuing Chris from hell, accidentally traveling to the future, running like mad to avoid demons and working on the potion to try to get them back to their time. But Piper knew she wouldn't be able to go to sleep, at least not until she knew where her son was.

Stumbling to the entrance, she held her breath as she unlocked it, and bit by bit opened the door. As soon as she managed to open the door just enough, she slipped through, and gently closed the heavy door behind her. Flushed with success, Piper quickly turned, wondering which way to go when she tripped, letting out a little scream as she fell to the floor.

"Oof!" was the first thing Piper heard, as she realized that she had actually fallen _on_ someone. "Going somewhere?" Leslie's voice asked, dryly.

Scrambling to her feel, Piper mustered all her dignity, as she looked down her nose at the man sprawled in front of the door to Chris' quarters. "What exactly are you doing down there?"

"Sleeping. Which is what you should be doing, right now," Leslie quirked his eyebrow at her. "It's the middle of the night. Where are you going?"

"Why?" Piper asked, suspiciously. "What's it to you? And you still haven't answered my question...what exactly were you doing, sleeping outside our door?"

Rolling his eyes, Leslie muttered under his breath, praying for patience, before answering Piper, "Just a friendly question, that's all. And I wasn't doing anything sinister...Chris says you're my responsibility while you're here," Leslie shrugged. "So I'm guarding the door."

"Is that really necessary?" Piper asked, still a little suspicious. "After all, isn't your base 'secure'?" she sneered.

Again, Leslie shrugged. "Yeah, but you can never be too careful. And as long as you and your family are my responsibility here in the future, where you are, I am. Where you go, I go."

"Isn't that a little...dramatic?" Piper wondered. "Anyways, I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep, so I thought I'd take a walk around."

"Would you like me to accompany you? I can call Duncan to come by and guard the door while we go for your walk," Leslie offered.

"Oh no! I don't want to be any trouble," Piper protested. "I'll be fine, really. Besides, I'm the one with the offensive powers, remember?"

Leslie nodded. "Is there somewhere you wanted to go in particular? If not, I'd stick to the main hall, it's safe, and pretty peaceful at this time of night, or so I've been told."

"Actually," Piper hesitated, but decided to let Leslie know her intent. She'd need his help if she wanted to locate Chris. "I want to know where Chris is. I woke up and noticed that he...didn't come back, yet. Do you know where I can find him?"

"If he's not in there, then he's in the command room," Leslie grimaced. "I'm not sure Chris knows what sleep is, if you get my drift."

"Yeah, well, maybe I can get him to listen to me. I'm his mother, after all," Piper grumbled.

Leslie's face broke into an unholy grin, thinking of Chris' reaction, as he pointed in the general direction of the command room. "That you are. Think you can still remember your way there?"

Piper smiled back, wolfishly. "Yeah. Thanks."

Leslie's grin faded. "Piper – don't be too hard on him, okay? He's trying."

Glancing back over her shoulder as she trotted down the corridor, she smiled sadly at Leslie. "I know."

* * *

"Darryl, I need you to bring me – "

"It isn't Darryl," Piper leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed, studying her son. He was seated behind an enormous desk, with papers littered across the surface, much like the desk he had occupied at P3. The command room was completely empty, save for Chris. Extra lighting had been brought in, giving a soft glow to the room. Looking over her shoulder at the main room of the command area, Piper thought it was weird, considering how busy the room had seemed earlier that day, buzzing with motion, to see it void of any activity. She turned her attention back to her son, sitting in front of her.

"Hey, Mom," Chris said softly, looking up at Piper. "I'm kind of busy right now. Can this wait?"

Shaking her head, Piper stepped into the small meeting room, to take a seat across from her son. She waited for her son to acknowledge her, as he continued to study the papers in front of him. Realizing that he was ignoring her, Piper decided to take the initiative. "You called me Piper."

Chris didn't look up; hunched over the desk, he was studying the papers scattered in front of him. "What's that?" he said absently, chewing on the end of his pen, before circling something on one of the sheets.

"You – called – me – Piper. Before," Piper reached across the desk to gently grasp her son's chin in her hand, forcing him to raise his eyes to meet hers. "I thought...Chris, I love you. Did I do something wrong? Talk to me," she pleaded.

"Mom, you didn't do anything wrong, okay?" Chris smiled a fake smile into her eyes. "Why don't you go back to sleep? I've just got a couple more things I have to go over."

Dropping her hand, Piper shook her head. "No, it's not okay. Calling me 'Mom' now doesn't explain what happened earlier. Are you punishing me for something?"

"No! Look, I'm really tired," Chris sighed, leaning back into his chair, rubbing his eyes wearily. "I was hoping we wouldn't have to talk about that."

"Yeah, I kind of got that feeling," Piper could see the exhaustion etched in his face. At that moment, he looked significantly older than his 22 years that she knew him to be. Undeterred, she waited patiently for him to open up to her. "I'm not leaving until you explain yourself to me."

"Well, maybe you should!" Chris shouted. "Why can't you just let it go?"

Taken aback by her son's venom, Piper physically flinched, before apologizing softly, "I'm sorry if I upset you. It wasn't my intention. I'll...I guess I'll see you later then."

Seeing the hurt in his mother's face as she moved to leave, Chris relented, just a bit. "No, Mom. It's not your fault. I'm sorry. I'm...I'm just under a lot of stress here, okay?" Chris stretched his arms above his head, tiredly, glancing at the clock. He had about four hours till sunrise; it was time to call it a night. He'd have to finish off the rest tomorrow.

"Talk to me Chris," Piper begged.

"It's hard. Everything is so hard here," Sighing at his mother's blank look, Chris tried to explain his feelings to her. "I...you and Dad and Paige and Phoebe...being with all of you again – it's hard, Mom. It's hard _being_ with you, when I know you have to leave soon."

"I don't get it," Piper shook her head, not following Chris' logic.

"I'm not...I'm not as strong as everyone thinks I am. I push you away because it's easier. Easier for me. If I can keep you at an arm's distance..." Chris looked away from his mother's sympathic gaze, "Maybe it won't hurt so much when you do leave me. Again."

"And that's it? That's the reason you called me Piper?" Piper questioned, needing to hear him say it one more time.

"I'm sorry," Chris nodded, wearily.

"I don't want to hurt you, Chris. If...if it really hurts you that much, then I guess I can accept it," Piper tried not to let her disappointment show too much. "But...it hurts me too, Chris."

"I'm trying, Mom. Really, I am."

Sniffling, she watched as Chris began to tidy the desk, putting papers in different piles, "What were you doing?"

"Studying maps." He pointed to one on top of one of the piles, "That's a supply map. That one over there is a tactical map, and that one is a terrain map and that –,"

"So maps?" Piper grinned, as she grabbed the terrain map so she could look at it. She stared at the minute details and tiny, red notations that were scattered across the map. The handwriting was clearly Chris', but she couldn't make out any of his comments. The markings were so small that her eyes watered, trying to read what they said.

"Mom," Chris sighed resignedly, taking the paper from her hands, he moved to roll up the map, tucking it away inside the desk this time. "Come on, let's go get some rest."

"Is this what you do?" Piper glanced at some of the other documents on the desk. Arbitrarily she picked up another paper from one of the many piles, "Look at maps all day?"

Chris futilely tried to snatch the paper back, but his mother swatted his hand away. Groaning, he replied, "No. But maps do take up a lot of my time."

"What is this? What do these dates and names mean? You keeping a birthday list?" Piper joked, as she scanned the sheet in front of her.

"No. It's a tally sheet," Chris said, flatly. "Of our losses."

"Your losses – ," Piper looked up into her son's eyes. As the implication sank in, Piper abruptly stood up, handing her son back the piece of paper. "I'm sorry."

Chris shrugged, nonchalantly, taking the sheet and placing it back on top of the proper pile. "It happens. Comes with the territory when you're at war." He kept his expression carefully neutral, keeping his feelings shuttered from his mother.

"You know," Piper hesitated, not wanting to come on too strong, in case she scared him away. "You can talk to me."

"There's nothing to talk about," Seeing his mother's hurt expression, Chris suddenly shoved his chair back from the desk, pacing. Abruptly, Chris shook himself. What could he tell her? Whine that he hated being leader of the Resistance? Bellyache that he had never wanted the responsibility of thousands resting on his shoulders? Cry that it was all so unfair?

Wish that he could wake up from this nightmare that was his life?

Shaking his head, he muttered, "Never mind."

"Talk to me, sweetie. Tell me what's wrong," Piper begged, gently, her eyes beseeching. She hated seeing him this way – his feelings repressed, his emotions buried, so much so that he appeared almost _cold._ She watched as her son struggled with his feelings, the conflicting emotions of pain, guilt and loneliness flit across his face, so fleetingly that she wasn't even sure she had seen them.

Chris felt himself relent, just a bit. It had been so long since he'd had someone he could talk to, really talk to. Bianca had been the only person he could unload all his burdens to, without the fear of being judged. He could be himself with her, warts and all. With her, he had found a partner who was strong enough to bear not only her own responsibilities, but could pick up his burden if he faltered. That security blanket was now gone, and he had never felt so alone.

"You're not alone."

Jerking his head up, he flinched as his mother's words found their target.

He snorted. "I'm not a child. I'm way past the age where you can tell me everything is going to be all right."

"I didn't say you were," Piper reproved him, gently. Piper was exasperated. She was beginning to notice how adept her son was at changing topics and avoiding subjects he didn't want to talk about.

"I don't have time for this."

"And when do you have time?" Piper asked, frustrated. "In the past it was 'future consequences.' Here, your excuse is you don't have time. Tell me when you have time."

"Gee, Mom, let me look at my calendar. Oh, it looks like I've only got one demon attack scheduled for Monday, so I'm sure we can have tea afterwards and share our feelings, "Chris said, sarcastically.

"Don't you dare take that tone with me, young man," Piper's voice was low, almost threatening. "I am your mother. _Your_ mother."

"You're right. I'm sorry," Chris apologized, ruefully. "Wyatt's coming, and everyone here knows it. We aren't ready. We aren't going to _be_ ready, even if we had all the time in the world. I'm fighting a losing battle, and it's all uphill. So forgive me if I haven't had a chance to spend some bonding time with you."

"I'm not asking for that! All I'm asking is that you let me in, Chris. Let me help you. Let all of us help you."

Sagging against the nearest wall, Chris closed his eyes. "You can help me by going back." He opened his eyes, meeting his mother's. "Go back and stop this from all happening. Don't sit back and let your 'magical destiny' take care of things. I need you to do this, Mom."

"Change fate, you mean," Piper whispered.

Chris shook his head. "No, change 'the future'."

"And what about you?" Piper asked, timidly. "What will happen to you? To this timeline?"

"I'll grow up to be a healthy and happy kid," Chris smiled sadly, not answering his mother's question the way she wanted. "I'll have an older brother to look up to, even if he is the twice-blessed child."

"You really do have an inferiority complex, don't you?" Piper joked weakly with her son, letting his answer stand. She couldn't bear to think what would happen to this Chris, here, in this time. She had gotten to know her adult son, and she didn't want to lose him. But they both knew there was nothing she could do. Instead, Piper moved over to stand next to him, gently touching his shoulder, leaning on him. "You know, power isn't just about who has the most magic. There's power in relationships. It's about family, friends. A good heart. And from what I can see here, that's a power you've got in spades."

She let the words sink in and waited for him to respond. When he remained silent, she sighed, reaching out with her hand to brush his hair out of his eyes, so she could look into them. "Look, you're right. I'm tired, you're tired. Let's try and get some sleep, okay?" Slowly she trudged her way towards the door, glancing over her shoulder at her son, still leaning against the wall. "Coming?"

Chris raised his gaze to meet his mother's. He saw the compassion and the love for him shining in her eyes. And his defenses began to crumble.

"I'll never forget all that I lost. I feel like I'm stuck in a bad dream," Chris whispered, pushing himself away from the wall, his arms hugging himself. "Everyone is counting on me...and I feel like I'm suffocating. I just want to curl up and go to sleep and wake up when this is all over. I..,I don't know if I can take this feeling anymore."

Piper was speechless. She groped clumsily for the right words to comfort her son, but none would come to mind. She watched, helplessly, as her son's calm façade began to crack.

"Sometimes I feel like... It's all so...overwhelming," Closing his eyes, Chris imagined all his friends, past and present, the innocents and everyone who was counting on him. "It...it hurts, mom." Everything was spiraling out of his control, no matter how hard he tried to steam the tide. "Can you take this feeling away?"

"Oh honey –," Piper ran over to reach out and hug her son close, putting all her love for him in that one embrace. "Chris, you're stronger than you think. You'll get through this. I know you will."

He let himself be comforted. "Tell me I won't feel a thing." He drew back and opened his eyes to meet his mother's. "Tell me everything will be all right."

Staring back into his vulnerable eyes, she told him what he needed to hear. "Everything will be all right, Chris. I promise."

As she hugged him tightly, she thought she heard him whisper...

"God help us all."

To be continued in Chapter 13....

* * *

A/N: Like I mentioned at the start, here's a little something as a 'thank you' to all my reviewers. It's you guys who have given me the creative energy to get this thing written.

Next chapter – may take a bit longer to update (I'm thinking 2 weeks, sorry folks, it's going through a lot of re-writes), as it's going to be jam packed with action...so....make sure you check back when I finally do get it uploaded! But for now...enjoy!

* * *

A scene from the upcoming Chapter 13...

And all at once, the sky fell...

The sky was an orange fireball now, fiery sparks streaking across the air, erupting in a shower of fire. The impact from the deadly magic attacks thundered in the distance, and the ground trembled and buckled beneath the onslaught.

The Halliwells and their men were thrown to the earth by the series of explosions that rocked the area. Paige opened her eyes to find herself on the ground, dazed and raised her head, searching for her sisters. Around her, people were streaming forward, charging forward to meet Wyatt's army of demons.

Leslie frantically looked for Phoebe; coughing from the dust generated from the debris from the blasts, he made his way over to her, lying prone on the ground a few feet away. Checking her pulse, he breathed a sigh of relief, as he felt it strong and steady beneath his hand. Glancing around, he noted that Paige seemed to be okay, and Chris was helping Leo pick Piper off the ground.

"Get them out of here!" Chris yelled at Leslie, "Get them back to their time, now!" He turned, when he felt his arm caught held by something.

"You can't go!" Piper said in a frightened rush, her fingers digging deep into her son's arm. "Chris – I can't lose you, not again!" She pulled desperately at his arm, trying to tug him to safety, her instinct to protect her son, her family, overwhelming her.

"We have to get to safety! We've got to get you back to the past, Piper!" Leslie grabbed Piper's arm, trying to pry her death grip from Chris' arm. "If you really love him, let go of him! He's the leader – they need him! That's his _life_!"

"No!" Piper half screamed, half sobbed. "This isn't his life! This isn't the future! This...this can't be happening!"

Chris shook his head, taking hold of his mother's shoulders, trying to calm her. "Mom! Mom! Listen to me! We're trying to put an end to this! That's why you need to go! You can stop this! I know you can!"

An energy ball exploded nearby, causing Chris to throw himself forward, using his body to shelter his mother from the cinders and burning embers. Leo and Leslie struggled to their feet, watching as Chris pulled his mother up from the ground, reassuring her, "Mom, it's okay. Trust me. This isn't the future. This won't _be_ the future. Because I know you'll change it. Saving Wyatt saves the future. You _know_ that."

"I love you so much, mom."

Piper raised her tear stained face to stare into her son's calm eyes. Sobbing, she frantically clawed at his arm, trying to keep him with her, as he gently shook himself free. She would have dragged him back, if Leo hadn't been holding onto her.

"Take care of her," Chris said to his father, as turned to leave. His father's eyes shimmered with unshed tears, as he solemnly nodded.

"Come with us, Chris. Come with us back to the past...we can save it...together..." Piper begged, watching her son back away from her.

"Someday you'll understand!" he shouted over his shoulder.

She watched her son disappear into the surrounding chaos, to lead his friends into what would surely be the final battle.

To face his future.

To meet his fate.

And her heart broke into a million pieces.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Not quite 2 weeks, but longer than one. Sorry it took so long, everyone, but this chapter was just a dog's breakfast to write. I can only hope that the slightly longer than usual chapter will go a little way to compensate for your patience.

Okay, it's the mother of all battles...keep your fingers crossed for our favourite hero, folks! (BTW: I don't know anything about football. Confused? Then read on.)

**To my reviewers: This chapter is for you.**

Sailorwind: You have a right to be confused...I was trying to take a shortcut and hoped that no one would notice. (hangs head in shame) Originally, I was going to have the reason as Chris trying to keep Piper at arm's distance again (kind of like Hyde School Reunion) since he knew she'd have to go back to the past, but felt that the scene would drag on too long. I'll probably rewrite that scene and re-post, after I'm done the story, so that the chapter makes more sense. Good catch!

Zeria: Happy birthday!

Cat, Laurely-Halliwell, StoryDiva, Buffspike, Alyssa, Ilovedrew88, Ccharmed24/7, Zoned-out, WhiteLise, Dark Miho, Flephanie, Melissa-p, Pukah, Sickle Sword: Glad you all liked the preview...as to whether Chris dies...read on to find out! Hope you think the rest of the chapter lives up to the sneak peak. Once again, thanks for the kind words and encouragement.

* * *

Chapter 13 

"Rise and shine, guys!" a cheery voice greeted them.

Opening one eye sleepily, Phoebe groaned at the sight of Leslie depositing a tray laden with some bread and what smelled like coffee. Next to her, Paige grumbled, turning over, burrowing deeper into the covers.

Leo sat up, gently shaking Piper awake. "What, huh?" she murmured, rubbing her eyes with her fists. Still sleepy, Piper lay still for a moment, gathering her thoughts. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she groaned. She and Chris had come back rather late (or was it early?), which meant she hadn't gotten much more than five hours of sleep. Tilting her head in the direction of the couch, she noted that it was empty. _What time did Chris get up? I didn't even hear him leave..._

"Hey, is that any way to greet the guy who brought you fresh coffee?" Leslie smiled at Phoebe, as he watched her struggle out from under the blankets. "Need some help there?"

Shaking her head, Phoebe stretched her arms over her head, "Is it really morning already?"

Nodding solemnly, Leslie handed Phoebe a mug of freshly poured coffee. Reaching over her, he snapped on the light switch, immediately flooding the room with a harsh, brilliant white light.

"Ow! My eyes!" Paige moaned, reluctantly sitting up as well. "A little warning please!"

Wordlessly, Leslie handed Paige a mug of coffee, which she greedily gulped down. He turned back to Piper and Leo who had by now seated themselves at the table, and were sipping their coffee. Pulling out a chair, Leslie plopped himself down and poured himself a cup as well. Studying Phoebe over the rim of his mug, he found himself thinking how cute she looked, her clothes wrinkled and rumpled from sleeping in them, her hair sticking out in all directions.

"– came in late last night...where do you think he went?" Piper was asking, waving her hand in front of Leslie's face. "Hell-o! Les?"

"Sorry?" Leslie blushed, embarrassed that he was caught staring. "Come again?"

Rolling her eyes, Piper broke off a piece of bread, stuffing it into her mouth, before repeating, "I was saying to Leo, I noticed that Chris is already gone. I know he came in late last night, so where do you think he went this early?" She didn't want to share with the others that she had talked to Chris last night, preferring to keep their tender moment to herself.

Phoebe sat next down to Piper, reaching across the table for some bread. Shuffling her feet, Paige grumbled a 'good morning' to everyone as she poured herself another cup of coffee.

"He's in the command room," Leslie offered. "Actually, I just came from there. He asked me to check on you guys. Once you're done here, we can go by and see him. He was pleased when I told him we think we have the potion to get you guys back to your time ready to go."

"I bet," Paige grumbled some more. Piper glowered at Paige, who, raising her hands, said defensively, "What? Hey, it's not like he has made a secret that he doesn't want us here."

"That's because he wants us to stop this future from happening! He's right, you know!" Piper snapped at her sister.

Leo stared at Piper in surprise, wondering what had brought about her change in tune. Yesterday, she had been angry with her son for his treatment of her, and now she was defending his actions. Confused, Leo frowned at Piper, "Piper? Did something happen that we should know about?"

Piper shook her head. She didn't want to explain to the others about her chat with Chris last night. She was pretty sure he'd be embarrassed by his breakdown, and didn't want to break his confidence. Last night had been a breakthrough in her relationship with her adult son; feeling slightly selfish, she hugged the knowledge to herself.

"I'm just going to use the bathroom, and then I think we should go see Chris," Piper stood up, abruptly, crossing the room and disappearing into the bathroom at the back.

As the quartet left at the table stared at each other in bewilderment, Paige shrugged. "Just pour me another cup of that coffee."

* * *

In the command room, Chris was draining a cup of coffee, his third, as Darryl pointed to the latest intel on Wyatt's demons. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he tried to ignore the pounding in his head. It was still fairly early, and given the late night he had had, Chris hadn't gotten much sleep. 

"You look like death," Darryl suddenly commented, eyeing Chris' pale pallor.

"Gee – thanks for the compliment," Chris retorted, rolling his eyes. About to open his mouth to question Darryl further about the latest intel, Chris noticed Zach, who had been sitting at the communications table, suddenly collapse from the corner of his eye.

"Message from the scouts! Demons are coming!" the telepath suddenly gasped. "God – oh God...I think...I think it was Slick!"

"Was?" Ben asked, concerned, reaching Zach first, he helped him back into his chair, as everyone in the room rushed to his side.

"I...I think...there were too many of them to fight off," Zach began to weep hoarsely. "I think I felt Slick die! Oh God – it was horrible...there was this _unbearable_ pain, and then...silence..an-and darkness." Zach wrapped his arms around himself, slowly rocking back and forth.

Riley and Odin visibly paled, as Ben and Darryl tried to comfort Zach.

At that moment, Chris wished he could mourn for another fallen friend, but he knew there was no time. Burying his emotions deep, knowing he'd pay for the self-denial later, he knelt down next to Zach. "Zach, I need to know – what was Slick's message to me?"

"He – he said...to tell you he saw Wyatt gathering his forces. They started marching on us last night. He and his team were caught...they got in too close – they just wanted to know how many..." Zach whispered.

"How many? Zach, I need to know," Chris pushed, ruthlessly.

"Ten thousand," Zach said dully.

"Ten thousand?!? How the hell did he manage to get so many demons?" Odin gasped, aghast.

Riley shook his head wildly, "We're not ready. There's no way we can take on so many."

In a low voice, Chris asked Darryl, "How many?"

"Three thousand, and that's _everyone_ who can hold a sword and throw a potion," Darryl shook his head. "We're outnumbered."

"Hell, we're not just outnumbered. It's a no-win, hopeless situation!" Odin began to babble. "We need to get out of here. Or maybe we could surrender. Plead with Wyatt to –,"

"To what, exactly?" Chris asked, sardonically. "He's gunning for us, and I don't think a white flag is going to stop him." He stared down each of the council members, none of whom could meet his eyes.

"Here's what we're going to do," Chris nodded at Odin. "You – you and the whitelighters get as many women and children you can to the shelters."

"Then what?" Odin asked, nervously.

"Then get them to safe ground," Chris rubbed his neck, trying to ease the tension. "They're your responsibility."

"We'll never make it far, with his demons combing the area for us," Odin protested.

"I'll buy you as much time as I can," Chris nodded at Odin's surprise. "We hold here. It's the only way."

A murmur of protest arose from Odin. "You'll never last. It's suicide. You'll need every last person if you think you can hold him off. You need us here."

Chris shook his head firmly. "No. No offense, but a bunch of pacifists aren't going to make a difference. Besides, you were right. It's a no-win situation. We're clearly outnumbered. Our best hope is to get the women and children out of here, safely. And that's you. Once you clear the dead zone, you'll be able to orb everyone to safety. If we're to have any chance of outrunning those demons from the dead zone, then the rest of us need to stay here and buy you as much time as possible." He looked grimly at Ben, Riley, and Darryl. "We're going up world. I want to meet him head on. If it's a fight he wants, then let's give him one. You with me?"

The men nodded, knowing Chris was asking for more than just support. "Alright, muster everyone and meet me at the front gate in an hour."

Signaling Darryl with his eyes to stay behind, Chris nodded to the others as they left.

As the council members filed out, Odin reached out and gripped Chris' lower arm. Unable to speak for a moment, Odin finally choked, before leaving the room, "Good luck, son."

As the door shut behind Odin, Chris turned to Darryl, "Ten to one, it's starting."

Darryl nodded his agreement, "You wanted me to stay behind? I'm hoping that means you have a plan."

Shaking his head, Chris bit his lip. "The plan is exactly what I said. That's not why I asked you to stay behind." Raising his head, "I want you and your sons to go with Odin."

Shocked, Darryl stared at Chris. "No way. No special treatment. That's not how this works, Chris."

Chris smiled, grimly. "It's not special treatment. Someone who can _think_, strategize – needs to go along. If Odin is left in charge, he'll panic. I need someone with a level head, Darryl. Someone who's going to look out for all our innocents."

"Fine," Darryl nodded. "The kids can go." Holding up his hand, he cut Chris' protests off, "That's my final offer. Take it or leave it."

Seeing the deadly resolution in Darryl's eyes, Chris slowly nodded. "Alright. You're in. Let's finish this. Together."

* * *

"What's going on?" Phoebe wondered, as they made their way from Chris' room to the command centre. All around them, people were streaming towards the great hall, so much so that the quintet was practically swept alongside them. 

Frowning, Leslie grabbed Phoebe's hand, making sure they weren't separated. Looking back over his shoulder at Leo, Piper and Paige, he pointed to his right, "Follow me!"

Elbowing his way against the flow of the crowds, Leslie dragged Phoebe to the side of the hall, pulling her aside into one of the many shallow alcoves that lined the hallway. Close behind him, Leo, Piper and Paige battled upstream, before flattening themselves against the wall of the alcove.

"What's going on?" Leo repeated Phoebe's question, as the group stared at the hundreds of people hurrying forward through the hall.

Shaking his head, Leslie searched for a familiar face in the sea of strangers in front of him, "I'm not sure – hey! Ben! Over here!"

Reaching out, Leslie grabbed the arm of his friend, just as he was passing by, yanking him into the alcove with the rest of them. "What the hell is going on?"

Annoyed by Leslie's guerilla tactics, Ben had been about to shake him off, when Leslie's question brought him up short. "You mean you haven't heard?"

"Obviously!" Paige rolled her eyes. "Otherwise why would we be asking?"

A dark cloud seemed to pass over Ben's facial features, "Message from Slick's team...Wyatt's mustered enough tracker demons to stake a march on us. With the rest of his demon friends, that brings us to ten thousand strong. ETA 3 hours."

Leslie paled visibly. "Ten thousand?"

"Les – what is Ben talking about?" Phoebe asked, the dread in her stomach felt like a lead weight. _Maybe I'm just misinterpreting what they're saying – oh God, I hope so._

Ben shook his head. "Chris has us gathering everyone into the great hall. I've got to go...I have to be with my team..." Without a backwards glance, Ben pushed his way back into the crowd, and was quickly carried away.

Turning back to Leo and the sisters, Leslie pointed to a door on the other side of the hallway. "That's the magic room. We need to get over there, pick up the potion, and get you out of here! Like Ben just said Wyatt's army is on the move, and they'll be here by mid day."

"Is that what he was talking about? The ten thousand? You mean, there's going to be ten thousand demons descending on this base in a couple of hours?" Paige exclaimed, completely freaked.

"Got it in one," Leslie confirmed. "Now we need to concentrate on getting you back to your time before he gets here..."

"Wait, where's Chris? Where is my son?" Piper demanded. "I'm not going anywhere until I've spoken to him."

"We don't have time for that, Piper!" Leslie cringed under Piper's glare.

"Either you take me to him, or I'll find him myself."

"Okay, fine. Ben says he'll address everyone in the great hall. We could probably catch up with him there. Come on, I'll take you there. Just stay close, okay?" Plunging forward, Leslie and the others pushed their way back into the mob, allowing themselves to be swept away.

* * *

He stood on a platform in the hall, where everyone was gathered. 

Looking out at sea of faces in front of him, Chris swallowed nervously. No matter what Darryl or Leslie or anyone said, for that matter, he didn't feel like a leader.

Praying that the right words would come to him, Chris drew a deep breath as he waited for the chatter of the crowd to die down. His gaze skimmed over the faces of friends and strangers alike. Never had he felt more like running away and burying his head in the proverbial sand. Behind him, he could feel the quiet strength that Darryl radiated, and drawing from it, Chris shoved his queasiness aside and stepped forward.

Carefully, he pronounced and projected each word, so that it reverberated throughout the hall, and reached the back of the jam-packed room.

_This is the moment we've known would come. Wyatt and his army of demons are coming for us, and they won't stop till every human is exterminated. Our scouts tell us that they'll be here in less than two hours._

_Odin and his group of whitelighters are escorting the women and children, even as I speak, away from the base. As soon as they get them out of the dead zone, they'll orb them to safety._

_But they have to get out of the dead zone first – which they won't be able to, if someone doesn't stop Wyatt and his army from following them._

_And so – we hold here._

_I won't lie to you – I owe you that, at least. This city is burning. The odds are against us. They outnumber us ten to three. _

_But I have hope._

_We stand here, at a crossroads, with a chance to bend fate to our will – if only we have the courage. _

_I look at you, and I see loyal, brave people, who have done and are prepared to continue to do, their duty no matter what the cost. As will I._

_Wyatt thinks that this will be the end of us. I don't presume that this is the end. Rather, this is only the beginning of the reckoning. This is the dawning of the rest of our lives._

_It's time for us to rise and take our stand for freedom, like those that have done so bravely in the past._

_Today we show these demons the battle to end all battles. _

_Today we show Wyatt what it means to fight the good fight._

_Today we show Wyatt what it means to meet our destiny!_

Drawing courage from his speech, the crowd erupted with cheers and stomped their feet, fevered.

Their cheers could probably have been heard in the heavens.

_And no one would ever guess that they're cheering their own deaths. This is it. The end of the road,_ Chris thought, with a mixture of dread and pride.

Because he knew in his gut that all the luck in the world wouldn't save them.

_May God help us all._

* * *

As the cheering died down and the teams began to move out, Chris made his way off the platform, only to be confronted by a very familiar sight. 

"Ten thousand? To three thousand?" Piper asked in disbelief, as her eyes flashed with anger and fear. "Are you nuts?!? You'll be slaughtered!"

"Piper," Leslie tried to shush her.

"Chris –," Piper pushed Leslie out of the way. "You can't hold here. _You can't!_"

"Mom – I don't have a choice," Chris said tiredly, nodding at Darryl as the other man slipped by. "If we're going to save the women and children – the innocents – then we need to buy them time to get out of the dead zone so that Odin and his group can orb them to safety."

"But why you? Why do you have to lead?" Piper pleaded. "Why can't you go with Odin or...or with us? Back to the past? Let someone else take charge!"

Chris smiled sadly at his mother's pleas. There was nothing more that he wanted right now then to run to the safety of his mother's bosom. To be held close, and the nightmares kept at bay. But as much as he could hear his mother's pleas, he knew he couldn't.

She hadn't raised him that way.

"Because you taught me to. You always told me that I should try to help those less fortunate then me. That our magical gifts were given to us to save innocents. You taught me to be responsible to those who count on me," Chris explained, gently. "If I ran away from this, would you still respect me?"

Piper nodded vigorously, ignoring the voice in her head that wanted her to acknowledge the truth behind Chris' words.

Chris laughed softly. "No you wouldn't, Mom. Because you were the one who taught me that you don't lead by being an armchair quarterback, flinging the plays from a safe distance on the sidelines; you go in and you lead by example."

"No –," Piper choked, knowing that if she didn't convince Chris to leave with them _right now..._

"Mom," Chris smiled wistfully at his family. "Guys – you need to go...now. So that there will be a future, okay? Les – get them back to their time, that's an order."

Nodding solemnly, his hand on Piper's arm restraining her from grabbing onto Chris, Leslie promised his friend, "I will."

"Chris – wait," Leo stopped his son, putting his hand on Chris' arm. Looking into Chris' brown eyes, Leo groped for the words to tell Chris how much he loved him, how proud he was of him. Les had been right. His youngest son wasn't a good man...he was a great one. How did you tell your adult son from the future how proud you were of him? That you felt privileged that you had a chance to see what a wonderful young man he had grown up to be?

"Just –," As Chris' eyebrow arched in silent inquiry, Leo knew that words could never properly express his emotions and the thoughts currently racing through him. Instead, Leo finished lamely, "Be careful, okay?"

"Thanks," Chris nodded, seeing everything his father wanted to voice, but couldn't, in his eyes. _Some things never change_, Chris thought ruefully. "Look – I've got to go. Be safe, okay?" Chris started to leave, pausing to turn back for a last look at his family, before disappearing into the crowd, "Take care."

"Oh no, this conversation isn't over yet, young man," Piper shouted at Chris' back, as she threw Leslie's hand off of her, still angry, and ran after him, her sisters in hot pursuit. Looking at each other, Leo and Leslie shrugged, following the group as they disappeared into the tunnels that would take them up world.

* * *

And all at once, the sky fell... 

The sky was an orange fireball now, fiery sparks streaking across the air, erupting in a shower of fire. The impact from the deadly magic attacks thundered in the distance, and the ground trembled and buckled beneath the onslaught.

The Halliwells and their men were thrown to the ground by the series of explosions that rocked the area. Paige opened her eyes to find herself on the ground, dazed and raised her head, searching for her sisters. Around her, people were streaming forward, charging forward to meet Wyatt's army of demons.

Leslie frantically looked for Phoebe; coughing from the dust generated from the debris from the blasts, he made his way over to her, lying prone on the ground a few feet away. Checking her pulse, he breathed a sigh of relief, as he felt it strong and steady beneath his hand. Glancing around, he noted that Paige seemed to be okay, and Chris was helping Leo pick Piper off the ground.

"Get them out of here!" Chris yelled at Leslie, "Get them back to their time, now!" He turned, when he felt his arm caught held by something.

"You can't go!" Piper said in a frightened rush, her fingers digging deep into her son's arm. "Chris – I can't lose you, not again!" She pulled desperately at his arm, trying to tug him to safety, her instinct to protect her son, her family, overwhelming her.

"We have to get to safety! We've got to get you back to the past, Piper!" Leslie grabbed Piper's arm, trying to pry her grip from Chris' arm. "If you really love him, let go of him! He's the leader – they need him! That's his _life_!"

"No!" Piper half screamed, half sobbed. "This isn't his life! This isn't the future! This...this can't be happening!"

Chris shook his head, taking hold of his mother's shoulders, trying to calm her. "Mom! Mom! Listen to me! We're trying to put an end to this! That's why you need to go! You can stop this! I know you can!"

An energy ball exploded nearby, causing Chris to throw himself forward, using his body to shelter his mother from the cinders and burning embers. Leo and Leslie struggled to their feet, watching as Chris pulled his mother up from the ground, reassuring her, "Mom, it's okay. Trust me. This isn't the future. This won't _be_ the future. Because I know you'll change it. Saving Wyatt saves the future. You _know_ that."

"I love you so much, mom."

Piper raised her tear stained face to stare into her son's calm eyes. Sobbing, she frantically clawed at his arm, trying to keep him with her, as he gently shook himself free. She would have dragged him back, if Leo hadn't been holding onto her.

"Take care of her," Chris said to his father, as turned to leave. His father's eyes shimmered with unshed tears, as he solemnly nodded.

"Come with us, Chris. Come with us back to the past...we can save it...together..." Piper begged, watching her son back away from her.

"Someday you'll understand!" he shouted over his shoulder.

She watched her son disappear into the surrounding chaos, to lead his friends into what would surely be the final battle.

To face his future.

To meet his fate.

And her heart broke into a million pieces.

* * *

As the pale light of dawn crept through the clouds, the Resistance's numbers of three thousand looked pitiful against the ten thousand strong demons. _Trackers, brutes, every demon in the book is out there..._Chris observed, frightened. _How the hell does Wyatt manage to control all of them?_

"We could still win this, Chris," Darryl said, his flat tone betraying his true thoughts.

_And Wyatt could suddenly find religion. _Chris thought in response. Instead, he replied, wryly, "I know it's your job to be confident, but we've been friends for a long time. Could you at least try to lie convincingly?"

"Sorry," Darryl shrugged. "Just trying to instill a little confidence."

"I don't need confidence. I need a bloody miracle," Chris muttered, under his breath. "Just get ready, okay?"

Half of the scouts and fighters laid in wait to the left of the chosen battlefield, hiding in the ruins. Because of their limited numbers, Ben and his team of witches were near the back, fighting from afar, casting spells and illusions, all in support of the ground forces. Riley and his team of enchanted beings were with them, using their magic to counteract as many spells and demon powers as they could, so that Ben could focus on offensive magics. Each team had numerous telepaths, all coordinated through Zach, who had filled in for Les' usual position, as Chris' telepath.

Zach closed his eyes, frowning, like he was concentrating. "Ben says they're ready. He says he thinks he can cast a spell to make the ground sticky."

"I'd rather he come up with a lot of vanquishing spells," Chris grumbled.

"He says he'll do his best," Zach said, after a moment.

"Fine." Chris said curtly, ignoring Darryl's questioning eyebrow. _Great, we can't vanquish anything, how the hell are we going to hold them off?_ Reigning in his emotions, he frowned, as a thought occurred to him. "Zach – can you ask Ben if he can make the ground quicksand, and cast an illusion over it so that it looks normal?"

Nodding, Zach closed his eyes again as he mind sent. Suddenly Zach grinned, "Ben says no problem. He said he can make it a big pit of tar, if you like."

Chris rolled his eyes, "Just tell him to stick with the plan, okay?"

_Standoff_, Chris thought, as he surveyed Wyatt's army from his vantage point. _Come on, you bastard. You want me? Then come and get me._

* * *

"You can forget it. I'm not going anywhere without my son!" Piper angrily pushed Leo's hands away from her. 

"Piper, Chris is right. We can stop this. By going back, to our time," Leo reasoned. "By making sure this never happens."

"But it _is_ happening, Leo," Piper held up her hand to forestall the protest coming from her husband's lips. "I don't pretend to understand time travel. I never will. But I know that that is our _son_ out there, and I will NOT leave him here. Not like this."

"This isn't about you, Piper!" Leslie shouted, exasperated.

"No, it's about Chris!" Piper yelled back. "That is MY son out there!"

"Those are both your sons, Piper," Leslie's voice dripped with deadly accuracy.

Piper went white, then red, then white again, like she had been physically slapped. She opened her mouth to retort, when Phoebe cut her off.

"Enough! This isn't your decision, either of you," Phoebe decided it was time to be the middle sister. "This is a family decision. All those in favour of staying and helping our nephew? Raise your hands!"

Without hesitation, the sisters all raised their hands. Sighing in defeat, Leo raised his hand as well. Turning her glare on Leslie, who was sputtering in protest, Phoebe merely raised an eyebrow, "All right – you can either help us not get killed or you can stay here. Either way, we're helping our nephew. Now let's go kick some demon butt!"

* * *

The enemy surrounded them; Chris swore, as he looked out over the tidal wave of demons overrunning the Resistance from his position on the hill. Chris waited, ignoring the sight and sound of his people being killed, for he, and not Daryl, on the battlefield, was the field commander. He didn't have the gift of premonitions like Phoebe, but he had, what Darryl liked to call, a good gut instinct. Whatever it was, they had learned that it was invaluable, as it operated best on the battlefield. It would never tell Chris what was to happen, but given that there were plans in place, it _would_ tell him when the exact instant occurred that the plans should be set into motion. 

Chaos erupted all around, as the demons shrieked with renewed rigor. Gritting his teeth, Chris counted under his breath. As usual, fear and hysteria swamped him for a second, before he forced it back. Explosions of fireworks hit the lines, as energy balls were hurled back and forth between the two sides.

"Now!" Swallowing his fear, Chris plunged forward, leading the way, as hundreds of scouts followed his charge.

He lost Darryl immediately, as he vanished into the fray. Slashing, Chris cut down the demon in front of him. Five converged on him, and he dived to his right. Claws extended, the demons advanced on him.

"Behind you!" someone shouted.

The warning came just in time, and he managed to duck just as a demon tried to slash at him from behind. Swearing, he pushed himself back onto his feet, his sword burying itself in the soft underbelly of one of the demons. Reaching into his pocket, he threw the vial at the second one, watching as it exploded into a fiery ball, thoroughly vanquished.

The demons pressed on, and Chris could hear the clash of metal on metal, as his people charged ahead. To his left and right, he heard the sounds of rage and pain, as his friends were cut down. Dodging another claw as it swiped at him, Chris attacked savagely. Snarling, the demon kicked him in the stomach, causing Chris to falter a couple of steps back. Sensing its victory, the demon launched itself at him, and he countered blindly. Sheer good luck was on his side, as the sword cut through the creature's vulnerable spot, spilling its insides onto the ground, before the demon collapsed where it stood.

Out of the corner of his eye, Chris saw the energy ball headed straight for him. Diving to his right, he threw his hands up to protect his face as the shell collided into the spot where he had just been standing. Coughing from the resulting dirt and debris, Chris lurched to his feet, as the last bits of wreckage from the explosion rained down from the sky.

Darryl suddenly appeared next to him, his sword dripping. In his left hand he held something – some piece of a demon – that he mercifully flung behind him before Chris could identify it.

Rallying the scouts behind him with a flourish of his sword, Darryl shot Chris a glance, as the team charged forward. Chris shook his head, silently answering Darryl's question of concern, before hurling himself forward into the depth of the fray. Blinking the dust from his eyes, Chris swiveled, bayoneting a couple of demons attempting to flee, coldly dispatching as many of the enemy in the most efficient way possible.

_Only another nine thousand nine hundred some-odd to go... _

* * *

The battlefield was chaos personified. 

Everywhere she turned, Piper could only see dense pillars of swirling black smoke, dirt and debris mushrooming upwards in towering clouds. Demons and humans alike were involved in the fight for life and death, and, luckily, for the most part, ignoring her and her family. Desperately, Piper searched the chaos in front of her for her son. Hysteria began to mount inside her. _How am I ever going to find Chris in this mess?_

"Piper! I think I can sense him," Leo shouted over the noise of the battle, into Piper's ear. "Over there!"

Spotting her son, Piper pushed her way eagerly forward, arbitrarily blowing up demons left and right, as she fought her way to her son's side. She could hear her sisters' yelling at her to be careful, behind her. She ignored them, her entire focus on the slight figure only a few yards away.

* * *

Nearby, a fireball rose and mushroomed, causing dust to rise in a low haze from the ground, deafening and blinding all those around them. Energy bolts crackled and hissed in the thin air, buildings burned, and blast after blast continued to rain down from the skies. 

The heavy fighting had been waging for what seemed like hours, and Chris had thought himself numb to sights of violent death all around him. An explosion rocketed the ground nearby, and a geyser shot up from the field to his left, lifting dirt and bloody heads and limbs with it. Chris wasn't sure if they were demons or humans, and felt his stomach lurch at the thought of the latter.

The hair on his neck standing on end was the only warning he got before the shell burst. He groaned, blinked, conscious of a heavy pain in his chest. Opening his eyes, he found himself lying on the ground, not remembering how he had gotten there. _The explosion must have done it._ Hearing the whine of another fireball, Chris struggled to his feet, and managed to throw himself to the side, cringing as he waited for second explosion.

The concussion nearly knocked him over. Instead, the swirling black smoke made him hack and cough, his eyes burning and stinging from all the dense smoke.

Looking for the flash of dark brown hair, he saw Zach up ahead, barely holding his own, favouring his injured shoulder. Fighting his way to Zach's side, Chris lunged forward, running on pure adrenalin and fear. Ruthlessly cutting down his opponent, Chris yelled at Zach, "Tell the left to pull in! Now!" Barely avoiding a fireball, Chris redirected it back with his telekinesis.

Zach nodded, wincing in pain, and mind sent to the hidden forces. The fresh troops hidden in the ruins began to move forward, toward the centre, driving the demons back to the right, where Ben and his team had laid their illusions.

Snarling, the demons moved to Chris' right, obviously hoping to circle around. As the Resistance pushed them back, the demons quickly discovered themselves sinking into three feet of quicksand, making them easy pickings for the Resistance fighters. Caught between the two waves, and half of them already sinking into the quicksand, the demons began to panic.

_Hell, this may actually work!_

Chris turned in time to see the set of claws coming at him too quickly to block –

* * *

"Chris!" Piper screamed, throwing her hands up to blow up the demon. Her heart in her throat, she watched as the demon rip open Chris' side, when she realized that the damn thing was protected against magic attacks. Gathering her powers again, this time Piper aimed for the ground beneath the creature's feet, throwing both Chris and the demon to the ground, a few feet away from each other. 

Clasping his hand to his side, Chris pushed past the pain and stretched out his other hand towards his sword where it lay on the ground, and _concentrated_ – using his telekinesis, it flew across the air, to land neatly in his outstretched hand.

Whirling, with his sword in hand, he drove it deep into the demon as it leapt up to attack him once more. Jerking his sword free, he watched as the creature clutched its chest in pain, before collapsing onto the earth, dead.

"Oh my God. Leo! Leo!" Piper screamed, as she ran to her son's side, catching him as he staggered. Leo stumbled his way across to them, sliding to his knees, in his haste to reach Chris' side. All around them, deadly bolts of power hurled one after the other whipped around them. Paige, Phoebe and Leslie quickly formed a protective shield around them, with Paige and Leslie redirecting any fireballs heading their way. Phoebe gripped the sword she had grabbed from the ground, and prayed she wouldn't have to use it.

Pale, his body on fire, Chris clutched his side in agony, as he lay securely in his mother's lap. He could see the golden glow from Leo's hands, as his father healed the laceration in his side. The pain dulled, Chris glared at his mother, "I thought I told you to get out of here!"

Piper glared back at her son, just as stubborn, "The last time I checked, I was the parent here."

"Guys, this is ridiculous. Why don't we concentrate on getting out of here, and _then_ you can argue over who's in charge?" Paige yelled, over her shoulder, as she called another fireball out of the way.

Opening his mouth, Chris prepared to launch another tirade on his family and chastise them for putting themselves in danger, when he paused.

That's when he _felt_ it.

An unnatural fog rolled in, writhing and seething as it moved towards the Halliwells.

An eerie glow of sickly yellow illuminated the fog from within, and Chris cringed, knowing what was about to happen...

"Wyatt..." Chris whispered, struggling to his feet.

His brother stepped forth from the fog, his eyes gleaming.

"Chris – it's time to end this."

To be continued...

* * *

A/N: Well, it's the confrontation we've all been waiting for...Wyatt vs Chris, and only one is going to come out on top. Will Chris survive? Will Leo and the sisters make it back to their time? Is there really 'no fate'?

All these questions to be answered...

...same Charmed time, same Charmed channel...

I'll try to post Chapter 14 before the end of the weekend, as it's already written...I'm just fixing it up. But no promises!


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Okay – the chapter you've all been waiting for, or at least I hope you've been wanting to read. Be warned – this chapter has a character death. As to who, well, you'll have to read on.

We're nearing the end folks...FYI, this is the second to last chapter. Again, thanks for the kind words and encouragement. Hope this chapter lives up to everyone's expectations.

* * *

Chris Drew Lover: I hope that this chapter was everything you hoped for...butterflies is a difficult expectation to live up to! 

Alessa: Glad you like it...and yes, there's a bit of inspiration from the matrix...very perceptive!

Story diva: Thanks – I was having real pains with the flow and pacing. It's all Chris and Wyatt this chapter...hope it doesn't disappoint.

Emma15: Hmmm...I'm not sure what Piper will say to her son either. Glad you liked the chapter.

Pukah: Sometimes I can't believe how spot on you are! When I first wrote my ideas down for the plot, I had for the climax – "Big fight scene! Think LOTR: the TTs!" Seriously...that's a little scary, eh? Re: finding religion...that's my favourite line in that chapter, too...heehee.

CaliforniaChick: Yes, I finally did. There were times when I was re-writing that I thought that chapter would never see the light of day. That was probably the most difficult one I've written so far – pacing and flow were so important. So happy you enjoyed it...makes all the hair pulling worthwhile!

Cat: Hope this update is soon enough. Thanks for the kind words.

Teal-lover: You're excited? Really? Or are you just pulling my leg? Personally, I'm dreading the confrontation – poor Chris.

Calen: Read on and your question will be answered!

Icantthinkofafnick: Hmmmm...that's too bad it's 95 of the time foggy. Yes – it is a good thing this is fictional – or I'd be in BIG trouble with the many mistakes I know are just littering this fic.

Lex: Well – I am continuing, but not for much longer. Hope you like!

Demonman21: Wow! A new reader! Thanks for the review – glad you liked the character portrayal, especially since I know they're not really true to the TV series.

Yourock: Thanks! I would gladly give my idea away for free, if it meant that Drew returned for a couple more episodes. As to why Wyatt turned evil...this chapter should reveal my spin on it. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 14 **

"_I've been waiting a life time..._

_For this moment to come..._

_I'm destined for anything at all."_

– Green Day

His hair was a dirty blonde, hanging in tendrils past his shoulders, in an unkempt mess. He was tall, taller than Chris, and spoke with a deep voice that caused Piper to shiver. His pale blue eyes were icy cold, and his entire bearing seemed to personify arrogance.

"Hello, Chris."

"Wyatt," Chris pushed himself away from the safety of his family. His tone was dull, tired.

So this...man...was her son. Piper stared at the man in front of her, the very sight of him filling her with dread, and she had no idea why. Perhaps it was because of the focused, almost cold, quality of his gaze, the sneer of contempt that curled his lip. Or perhaps it was simply because of what she had learned of him, here in the future.

"Is that anyway to greet your older brother?" Wyatt mocked, his voice dripping with sarcasm, pacing slowly in front of Chris. The two brothers were watching each other warily, circling each other slowly, like animals sizing up their opponents. "Did you think I wouldn't notice when you got back to our timeline? What's the matter, Chris? Didn't you _save_ me?"

"Wyatt –," Leo reached his hand out towards his other son. "Don't do this. This isn't you."

Sweeping his hand towards his family, Wyatt instantly froze them in place, but allowing them use of their heads. "And what would _you_ know, _Dad_?"

"Wyatt – don't hurt them," Chris protested, wearily. "You know they need to go back to our time...you don't want to change the timeline too much, do you?"

Wyatt shrugged. "I wasn't planning to. I have to admit though, I was surprised when my spies told me that you had company. Took me awhile to figure out it was the family. What I can't figure out is why you let them come with you? Did you really think they could make a difference?"

"I didn't let them come with me, it was an accident. Somehow they got knocked into the time portal as I was coming through," Chris sighed, his eyes automatically searching, as he watched for an opening.

"I believe you are telling me the truth, Christopher. You always were a stickler for following rules," Wyatt smirked. Suddenly, Wyatt pivoted to his right, throwing a fireball at Leslie, who had been sneaking up behind him. "Oh please – did you think I forgot about you?"

Phoebe screamed as the fireball hit Leslie directly in the chest, picking him off the ground and slamming him into the stones of a ruined wall.

Chris spared a glance at his friend, wary of splitting his attention between him and Wyatt, noted that the wound wasn't fatal, directed his friend, "Stay out of this, Les. This is between Wyatt and me."

Leslie groaned, his body on fire, didn't bother responding. He knew that Wyatt could have easily have killed him with that fireball, but for some reason, chose only to wound rather than kill him. However, he still didn't have the energy to pick himself off the ground, and conceded that Chris was right.

"Wyatt –," Piper pleaded. "Your father's right. This isn't you. Tell us what we did wrong, honey. Tell us how to fix things."

Wyatt rolled his eyes, his gaze never leaving Chris'. "You don't get it. You never did. It's not about what's good and what's evil. It's all about power. And whoever has the most, wins."

"I don't believe that this is you," Leo whispered. "What _happened_ to you?"

"I'm tired of talking," Wyatt snapped, and with a flick of his wrist, Wyatt caught him off guard, using his telekinesis to fling Chris across the clearing.

Piper screamed as Chris' body flew across the open space to land, stunned, atop a pile of jagged rocks. For a moment, Chris literally saw stars. Slowly, he struggled to pick himself up, the rocks digging into his back, as he crawled on his hands and knees, his head spinning, his ears ringing. _Damn, I gave him that opening! _Chris cursed his reaction time. _Gotta move..._

Shaking his head to clear it, he flung his arm out and his sword hilt jumped from the ground where it had fallen, into his hand. Bringing it up in a defensive position, Chris blocked everything from his mind, focused entirely on Wyatt, so as not to be caught off guard again.

As Wyatt tried to use his magic again, Chris easily diverted the magical attacks, rather than wasting his energy by trying to meet them head on. While Wyatt had always been more powerful in terms of magical 'firepower', Chris had always been more creative. Chris smiled sourly, remembering something his aunt Phoebe had told him when he was growing up. He had been complaining about his obvious lack of power to his aunt, whom he felt could relate given her less active powers compared to her two sisters.

_There's no such thing as 'minor' magic, Chris. It's all about waiting for the right time where a little bit of magic will bring you a big result. Think of it as waiting until your enemy is off-balance, and then you give them a little push. Know your limits, know when to push, and make use of what you have, and you'll get results. Believe me, I should know!_

If there was one thing his aunt Phoebe was exceptional at, it was giving advice.

"Enough fooling around." Growling, Wyatt's patience obviously taxed, he called, "Excalibur!"

The sword shimmering in his fist, Wyatt circled Chris, swinging his sword lazily from side to side, looking for an opening. Suddenly, he lunged forward viciously, and Excalibur met Chris' sword with a metal _clang_. The swords flew in motion, as Chris desperately tried to stop Excalibur each time Wyatt thrust or cut inward – high, low, either side. Chris smiled grimly. Wyatt had always been the better swordsman.

Clumsily, Chris blocked jarringly, almost too late, barely deflecting Excalibur at the last minute. He hissed in pain, as Wyatt's blade cut into his shoulder, and Chris swore, whipping his sword up and around, into a half crescent. Wyatt easily parried Chris' move, his smile gloating, as the two went back to circling.

Blood from Chris' shoulder was running down his arm, onto the ground, seeping into the earth. Piper was crying for both of them to stop, desist, but neither Chris nor Wyatt acknowledged her, so intent they were on each other.

Wyatt brought Excalibur down, under and up, catching the hilt of Chris' sword. Yanking the sword from his grip, it went flying. Weaponless, Chris stared into his brother's fanatical eyes.

"It's all over, little brother," Wyatt's smile was filled with malevolence. "First you, and then I'll crush what's left of the Resistance. You brought this on yourself, you know. You could have joined me. Could have stood by me. Could have been my brother."

Tight lipped, stoic, and almost angry, Chris shook his head, woozy from the loss of blood. "It's not over till I'm underground."

"That can be arranged," Wyatt's evil grin widened. "I'm sure mom and dad will _love_ seeing me put you in the earth. Ashes to ashes, and all that."

While he watched Wyatt move in for the kill, Chris prepared to launch his final attack with magic, hoping that Wyatt would be too distracted with his obsession to end things with Excalibur. He channeled all his pent up anger, rage and resentment, born from the horror of witnessing the countless deaths of his friends and family, Chris _pushed_ with his magic –

And found himself blocked.

He strove against the 'wall' Wyatt had set against him, even as Wyatt was moving forward, slashing at him with Excalibur. Chris dove to his right, ignoring the cries from his family, as Wyatt continued to slowly advance upon him. The wall felt glassy, and Chris could visualize it in his mind's eye, as he pushed against it with every bit of magical energy he possessed, fueled by his anger and rage –

And he felt it buckle, for just a second, as Wyatt's concentration was split between the physical and magical attacks, and he _shoved_ with all his might –

_Please let this work!_

_Light!_ He thought he cried out as he flung his arm up to cover his eyes as the blast of power reflected back into his face.

And the earth exploded beneath Wyatt _and_ him, sending them both flying through the air, to land with a thud on either side of the clearing.

_Pain_.

Then darkness.

* * *

"_Wait for me, Wy!" Chris shouted, as he chased after his brother. They had just finished school, and had been walking back to the Manor, when his brother had broken into a run._

"_Come on, Chris!" Wyatt called over his shoulder. "I bet Mom's been baking cookies for us all afternoon!"_

"_Wait! Wait for me!" Chris yelled back, tripping over his feet, landing in a heap on the sidewalk, his book bag flying open, his pencils and papers spilling everywhere. His eyes filled with tears, as he struggled to get to his feet, but his feet were all tangled up in the straps of his bag._

"_Are you okay?" Wyatt ran back and knelt down next to his little brother, who was blinking furiously, trying to hold back his tears._

_His lower lip trembling, the ten year old pointed at his skinned knees. "Mom is going to kill me! These were brand new pants."_

_Sighing, Wyatt reached down to help untangle his little brother, before scooping up the many papers and pencils to shove them back into Chris' bag. "Mom won't kill you. After all, you're the baby!"_

"_Not funny, Wy!" Chris pouted. A tear escaped from his right eye. "And my knees hurt."_

_Putting down Chris' bag, Wyatt shook his head at his little brother. "Want me to call Dad? I'm sure he could fix it in a jiffy."_

_Chris shook his head vehemently. "No! He's got too much to do lately, you know, with all those new charges and stuff." Chris plucked at his pant leg. "I don't want to bother him."_

_Rolling his eyes, Wyatt sat down on the sidewalk next to his little brother. Putting one arm around Chris' frail shoulders, he looked down at the younger boy, "Chris – you have to meet Dad half way. Just because he's busy, doesn't mean he doesn't care. You could have come with us last time, you know."_

_Last time Leo had come to take Wyatt 'up there.' His brother's twice-blessed status had made it necessary for him to get training, more than what magic school could provide. Leo had asked Chris to come with them; after all, Leo felt that even though Chris wasn't twice-blessed, he could still learn a thing or two. But Chris had stubbornly refused to go. It wasn't that he didn't want to spend time with his dad and Wyatt, it was just...he wanted them to spend some normal time together. Like Wyatt took after Leo in so many things, Chris took after Piper in almost every way, including inheriting her desire for a normal life. He didn't hate going 'up there' necessarily – it was just...he wasn't sure he liked it._

_Chris sighed. His feelings were all mucked up and at ten years old, he couldn't make heads or tails of it. So instead he pouted. "I don't – they look at me funny." At Wyatt's puzzled look, Chris tried to explain, "The Elders. Like I'm not suppose to be there. Like...I don't know."_

_Scratching his head, Wyatt said doubtfully, "Are you sure it's not all in your head?"_

"_No!" Chris glared at his big brother, before heaving a gloomy sigh. "Anyways, I'll never be able to do the things you do."_

"_Well, it doesn't matter. You know why? Because I'd never let anything bad happen to you, you know that, right?" Wyatt said, seriously._

"_Right!"_

"_Because we're brothers. You and me. Against the world," Ruffling Chris' hair, Wyatt laughed, as Chris tried to duck away, shooting his big brother a dirty look. "So, you want me to call Dad?"_

"_No!" Chris protested, stubbornly, his chin sticking out, exactly like their mother._

"_Fine," Wyatt rolled his eyes again, at the display of temper. "Well, we're almost home anyways. Mom can fix them for you, okay?"_

"'_kay" _

_The two brothers trudged home, leaning on each other. Opening the door to the Manor, Chris briefly entertained the thought of running up to his room before his mother could see him. Unfortunately for him, his mother seemed to possess that sixth sense that all mothers seemed to have that told them when their kids were up to no good._

"_Wyatt? Chris? Is that you? What took you so long? I've got cookies baking for you," Piper's voice trailed off, as she entered the hallway spying her sons. "Chris!"_

_With one foot guiltily poised on the stairs, Chris slowly put his foot down, turning to face his mother shamefacedly. "Hi Mom."_

_Running her eyes over him, Piper's eyes zeroed in on his skinned knees immediately, and exclaimed exasperatedly, "Those were brand new pants, Chris!"_

_He knew his mother wasn't mad at him, per se. It just seemed that he kept ruining his pants. These were the third pair in as many weeks, and Chris had promised his mother he would be more careful. They may have magical powers, but, as his mother had pointed out dryly, money didn't grow on trees. Even for the Charmed Ones._

"_Chris!"_

_He hated disappointing her._

"_Chris!"_

_Frowning, Chris realized this time his mother's voice sounded...more panicked, than exasperated._

"_Chris!"_

* * *

Chris opened his eyes, almost throwing up, as he waited for his world to stop spinning. Blinking, he lay quiet, still hoping that the dizziness would cease. As he lay there on the ground, dazed, trying to gather his scattered wits, he heard his mother's voice again. 

"Chris!" Piper was screaming, her voice full of fear. "You have to wake up, Chris! Chris! Wake up! You have to get up!"

Groaning, he put his hand to his head, trying to ease the throbbing pain in his temple. He blacked out for a moment, before he was able to fight back from the darkness. Struggling into a sitting position, he tasted something metallic in his mouth. Chris spat to his left, leaving blood on the ground from the gnash in his mouth. _What the – ?!?_

As his brain started functioning again, Chris became aware that it wasn't just his mother who was screaming at him, but the entire family. _Right...the fight. Wyatt._ He tried to push himself up off the ground, when the pain in his arm made him gasp out loud. _Right...shoulder wound._ Cursing himself, Chris forced himself to focus, as the screams from his family finally clued into his foggy brain.

"Chris! Get up! Get up!"

Raising his head, he saw what had his family so frantically screaming at him.

Wyatt.

He felt the way Wyatt looked. Bruised, battered, his clothes tattered, Wyatt was staggering his way across the clearing towards him. There was a cut above Wyatt's eye, deep enough that blood slowly dripped down the side of his face, lending him a most sinister air. Obviously, Chris' final magical blast had been a direct hit.

Finally galvanized into action at the sight of his brother advancing upon him, Chris stumbled to his feet. Pain lanced through his body, and it was an effort just to remain on his feet. Wyatt continued to advance slowly, each step an effort, Excalibur swaying in his hand. Searching for his own sword, Chris saw that it lay on the edge of the clearing, to his right. About to use his telekinesis to bring it to him, he stopped.

It was broken, sheared off near the hilt.

_Crap!_

Jerking his head to his left, to look for a weapon, any weapon, Chris nearly fell over from the wave of dizziness that hit him. Holding his head still, he breathed deeply, moaning, forcing the nausea back.

And still his family was screaming at him.

"What are you doing?!?"

"Run! Chris! You've got to get out of here!"

"Chris –,"

"Wyatt, stop...don't do this! He's your _brother!_"

"We end this _now_, Christopher," Wyatt's words were slurred, as he continued to advance upon him.

"Bring it on," Chris' voice was just as slurred, his face pale from blood loss. He wasn't in any shape to enforce those brave words; he swayed even as he stood, his face drawn with pain. Wyatt was only a couple of feet away from him. Chris had no weapon, his magical reserves exhausted from that final attack, and he could barely stand on his own two feet. _Is this it? Is this the end? Is this my destiny? To meet my death at the hands of my own brother?_

He stared into Wyatt's eyes, unable to look away – the cries of his family seemed almost muted in the background.

Chris saw the blade catch the sunlight, and arc down, and knew it for the one that would kill him.

The screams from his parents escalated, if possible, in volume. Instinctively, he tried to back away, tripping over his own feet to land on his rear.

Chris flung his hand out.

"Excalibur..." he gasped, weakly.

It had been a last ditch resort.

He and Wyatt had always known that Excalibur had belonged to Wyatt. Ever since Chris could remember, his parents had lectured Wyatt on the responsibility of owning the magical artifact. When they had been younger, Chris hadn't begrudged his elder brother's power to wield the sword; frankly, he was glad that it had been Wyatt's responsibility. Chris had never gone near the sword, too awed by its power and beauty, and more than a little afraid. After all, he knew the stories of when his mom had first obtained possession of the sword. The power of the sword had corrupted his mother, because only the ultimate power could handle the sword's power. Anything that could corrupt his mother, the strongest person he knew, he wanted to stay as far away as possible from.

Except...

The blade reappeared in Chris' right hand. And for one moment, _sang_.

Time seemed to slow.

Chris felt as if he and the sword vibrated together. A humming – somehow joyful, gleeful, almost – filled the back of his head. The sword glowed for a moment, as a line of fire flared, coalescing into script, along the flat of the blade.

The script writhed, then faded. The hum in the back of his mind stilled, and time resumed it's normal pace.

"What the hell was that?" Chris demanded, as soon as he could speak. The dumbfounded expressions on Wyatt's and his family's faces indicated that they too had just observed whatever had just happened. Wyatt stumbled back, his face full of disbelief, as he stared at the sword in Chris' hand.

"It's never done that before..." Piper trailed off, "Even when I finally passed it on to Wyatt..."

_Because according to the other Elders, she was only meant to pass it on to whomever it was really meant for._

_Well, why is it turning her evil?_

_Because only the ultimate power on earth can handle Excalibur. That's why the Lady stayed in the lake to insulate herself from the power of the sword._

"But, but..." Paige sputtered.

_You once asked me if in the future, if your sons are good. Chris isn't a good man in the future, Leo. He's a great one._

_You may be one person, Chris, but you're a key one. It's people like you who make the universe turn, never doubt it. No one here does._

_You know, power isn't just about who has the most magic. I think you can measure a person's power in the strength of their relationships. It's about family, friends. A good heart. And from what I can see here, that's a power you've got in spades._

"Excalibur was never meant to be Wyatt's...we got it wrong...it was always Chris'." Piper whispered, stunned. "Because it's not about magic...don't you see? It's about power – a different kind of power. Not the kind from magic, but from inside. From what makes a person strong within. From what makes Chris special."

"But why was Wyatt able to use Excalibur then? If it was never meant for him?" Paige asked, bewildered.

"Because it's just like Piper's situation..." Leo said, slowly, following Piper's thread of reasoning. "He was only meant to pass it on to whomever it was really meant for. Remember? In Chris' timeline, Piper died. So the sword needed a new guardian – Wyatt. Just like the Lady of the Lake needed Piper to take care of it."

Still stunned, Chris shook his head in disbelief, "But Wyatt's always been the most powerful. The sword can only be handled by the ultimate power, remember?"

"It makes perfect sense," Piper shook her head, the words tumbling from her mouth, faster and faster as the thoughts were coming. "Think about it. Arthur wasn't a witch – Merlin was the wizard, after all. If power was about who had the most magic, wouldn't the sword have gone to Merlin? Arthur's power was the ability to rule his people. His strength of character. To be a king. To be a leader." Piper paused, "Like Chris."

"No!" Wyatt screamed, his mouth practically frothing with rage. "Excalibur is mine! Mine!" His eyes berserk with rage, Wyatt whipped his hand out, chanting, calling the sword to him.

_With my gift and blood, I bound thee,_

_With my name, I call thee,_

_Come now, come to me._

Excalibur jumped, straining towards Wyatt. Chris desperately held onto the hilt with all his strength, knowing that he couldn't let Wyatt get his hands on it again.

"It will come to me eventually," Wyatt said, his smile evil. "And you will follow."

Chris' muscles knotted; he dug in his heels and held. And even though Excalibur was rightfully his, Chris knew it would only be a matter of time before the sword, and him, were within Wyatt's grasp. In the back of his mind, he heard his parents and family screaming for Wyatt to stop. _What can I do?_

"Wy – stop this, please. We can start over...I know we can. It doesn't have to be this way," Chris pleaded with his older brother. He looked up and gazed into his brother's crazed eyes, looking for recognition. He found none.

This man was no longer his brother.

In truth, he hadn't been for a very long time.

That had been the reason he had gone back to the past. Because Chris knew that his brother _had_ been good. He remembered all the good times, the horseplay...they had had a special brotherly bond. Sure, he had been a bit jealous of Wyatt's twice blessed powers, but as he grew older, he had realized what a burden Wyatt's power was, and had accepted his status as the second, less-powerful child of the Charmed Ones, with good humour. He hadn't known _why_ or _how_ his brother had turned evil, but he did know, did in his gut, that _something_ had turned him.

And now Chris knew.

It was the sword.

A sword that held the ultimate power, which had helped Wyatt with his evil plans, and which he, even now, needed to control his demons. A sword that had corrupted, warped and twisted his brother beyond recognition. Beyond saving.

And it was now Chris' responsibility to keep that sword from him.

Always, it was his responsibility.

He had to make a choice. _God forgive me_ –

And he let go.

The effect was like loosing an arrow from a crossbow. Released from his pull, the sword shrieked as it flew, making everyone want to clap their hands over tortured ears. Wyatt didn't break his calling spell. He didn't even seem to know what he'd done until Excalibur had buried itself in his chest to the hilt.

His eyes wide with disbelief, Wyatt could only stare at his brother, as he fell to his knees, and then, finally, collapsed onto the ground. "Chris –,"

_...I'd never let anything bad happen to you, you know that, right? Because we're brothers. You and me. Against the world..._

"I'm so sorry, Wy," Chris stumbled over to his brother, tripping over his feet, as he knelt down in the dirt next to his brother. Wyatt didn't hear Chris, for he had been dead as soon as he had hit the ground. Wyatt's eyes were glazed with death, as they stared soundlessly back at Chris. Gently, helplessly, Chris plucked at his brother's sleeve, wishing that there could have been another way. He wanted to cry, but he was hollow inside. Instead, he gently reached down and closed his brother's eyes.

Suddenly free from their frozen state, Phoebe rushed to Leslie's side, gently checking his wounds, relieved that, while painful, they didn't appear to be fatal. Feeling the gentle hands picking up his head, Leslie cracked his eyelids open, staring up into Phoebe's worried face. He tried to smile reassuringly at her, before wincing in pain. Looking up, Phoebe called "Leo!"

Leo, Piper and Paige were standing behind Chris, as he knelt next to his brother's body. Leo could feel the tears well in his eyes for his dead son. Even though his head told him there was nothing that he could have done at that moment, Leo still grieved. He grieved for the loss of his son, and he grieved for Chris' pain. He reached out his hand to Chris, wanting to comfort his son, and then pulled it back. What could he say or do that would comfort Chris?

Hearing Phoebe's repeated call, Leo glanced at Piper, who nodded, tacitly giving him her permission, and Leo turned away with a heavy heart to help at least one person.

Both Paige and Piper stood awkwardly behind Chris, unsure of what, if anything, they could say to comfort him. While Piper loved both her sons – here, in this time, she couldn't reconcile her toddler with the man who had just tried to cleave his younger brother in half. To her, that man had not been her son. She wouldn't _let_ him be her son. So, instead, she shoved all thoughts of her eldest out of her mind, intent on providing what meager comfort she could to her youngest.

"Chris –," Piper said hesitantly.

"Don't," Chris said, hoarsely, his back still to them. "Don't – say – anything. Don't touch me, don't come near me. Just – don't."

Healed, Leslie stumbled his way over to Chris, stopping a few feet away. He gave Wyatt's body a cursory glance, but frankly, he didn't give a damn. After all, the bastard had murdered his family and friends. But he held his tongue, because he cared about Chris. Instead, he said, "Zach says the demons are disbursing, now that Wyatt's...not leading them. It's complete disarray. Darryl said it's a rout. Should just be clean up now."

Chris said nothing.

Awkwardly, Leslie tried again, "Chris –,"

"Can you handle it?" Chris broke in, tiredly. "Can you – please – just...can you please just take care of it?"

Nodding, even though he knew Chris couldn't see it, Leslie offered, "Of course."

"Chris –," Leo took a step closer, "Let me heal you."

Shaking his head, Chris leaned forward, his hand gently sitting on Wyatt's chest, his voice breaking, "Just – leave me alone."

And with that, Chris orbed himself and Wyatt's body, dissolving into a scattering of blue orbs.

To be continued...

Last chapter to go – Leo and the sisters get ready to leave, and Chris says goodbye.

* * *

A/N: Re: Excalibur – Did anyone see that coming? Just wondering... Right from the first word in Chapter 1, I knew this was where I wanted the story to end up and tried to drop hints along the way. Was I too obvious? Was it a surprise? Too overdone?


	15. Chapter 15

Hey folks, just changing up the order here...I'd like to respond to my reviewers first this final time.

Flephanie: Don't be sad...maybe there'll be a sequel. Thanks for the compliments – I think I'm going to have a swelled head soon.

CaliforniaChick: Crying? Really? I'm flattered! Thanks so much for your review and all the ones for the other chapters.

Icantthinkofafnick: I always believe that great minds do, indeed, think alike. (wink, wink.) As to saving Wyatt...

Cat: This is definitely a 'poor Chris' story. I didn't mean it to be, but somehow the story just insisted that this was the way it wanted to be written. Thanks for the kind words – hope I've updated soon enough for you.

Calen: Here's the last bit. Thanks for all your words of encouragement throughout this process. It is very much appreciated.

Sickle Sword: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it! And again - thanks for the multiple reviews...

Demonman21: I'm glad you picked up on all the clues throughout...that was incredibly important to me so I appreciate you letting me know that the plot device actually seemed to work. The slow build was something I was really trying to work on to create the story flow. Unfortunately, some of the side plots seemed to peeter out as time went on.

Hoshi Tamamushiirono: Very good! That is one of my all time favourite series...I remember reading them in grade school, and I love that the stories still hold up after all this time. There are a couple of nods to other science fiction & fantasy stories as well, throughout this fic, but I'll let you guess.

Alexis Rose: As I mentioned to demonman21, I'm sooooo happy that people did pick up on the clues! It was the main reason I plotted out the story first before I began writing the stories. Thanks for taking the time to give me feedback not just for the last chapter, but the many others as well.

Manette: Merci! Comment allez-vous? I haven't heard from you in awhile, so glad that you enjoyed the chapter. As to whether I will continue to write other fanfics, please see my comments at the end of the epilogue...

StoryDiva: Glad you loved the chapter. Thank you so much for all your continued support throughout this creative process.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, we're finally at the end of the road, folks. Again, a big thank you to all who stuck it out with me to read and review. This story would never have been completed so quickly without your encouragement.

As you know, this is the last chapter. Originally, I had the epilogue tacked onto the end, but I've decided to post it as its own section. I will upload it at the same time as this Chapter, as they really should be read together – the split was purely for aesthetic reasons.

And to dispel the myth that I'm creative, or a good writer, which, while incredibly flattering, credit must be given to the following: Definite nods to Terminator 1 and 2 (I only saw half of T3), LOTR, the Matrix movies and countless science fiction & fantasy books that I read. Also, there were some sneaky references to Green Day songs I was listening to while writing these chapters. (Yes – besides the rather obvious ones at the beginning of Chapter 14 and the epilogue.)

I will probably be going back and fixing up my mistakes over the next week or so, so if you see an 'update', it's not – I'm just reposting some chapters that I've corrected. For all intents and purposes, this story is complete.

And so, without further adieu...

* * *

**Chapter 15 **

The demons had been disbursed; without Wyatt to control them, the cohesiveness of the army had collapsed. Infighting and general chaos left in the wake of Wyatt's death had made it easy for the Resistance to drive the creatures away in defeat. Now, all that was left was the aftermath. The dead were being collected and buried; the wounded were treated by the returning whitelighters. And the survivors tended to themselves – either celebrating or mourning.

Paige bit her lower lip, guessing that there would be no rebuilding of the city. At least, not in this particular area – for as the smoke cleared, it was evident that the entire area would continue to smolder for years to come. She tried not to think of the loss of life that had happened today – it was simply too horrific to contemplate. _No wonder Chris is so neurotic_, Paige thought sadly.

Huddled together, the sisters stood apart from the crowds of survivors, not sure of their role. They watched as Leo moved from person to person, healing those he could.

"How did Chris orb?" Phoebe suddenly piped up, breaking the gloomy silence that had befallen the sisters.

Paige shrugged. "No clue."

"Have you tried lately?" Phoebe pressed. At Phoebe's insistence, Paige sighed and tried to orb.

"Hey!" Piper yelped, startled, as Paige orbed in behind her. "Guess the spell is broken?"

"We'll have to ask Chris when he gets back," Leslie injected, as he walked towards the girls. "Sorry, I couldn't help overhearing you. Thanks for waiting." After Chris had orbed out, Leslie had gone to assist Darryl with coordinating the clean up efforts, leaving Leo and the girls on their own, with strict instructions on _not to go anywhere_.

"Hey," Phoebe smiled softly at him. "Everything okay?"

Leslie shook his head. "No, but they will be. Look – I spoke with Darryl and he thinks it's time you guys head back. Before anything else happens."

"You don't think something else is going to happen, do you?" Piper asked, worriedly.

Again, Leslie shook his head. "Nah. Darryl's just being cautious. But I agree with him. Besides," Leslie looked around him, "the only thing we'll be doing for awhile will be rebuilding."

"Can you?" Paige wondered, staring at the devastation around her. "Will you be able to rebuild?"

Leslie shrugged. "If not here, then somewhere." Looking over to where Leo was finishing up with one of the wounded, Leslie called him over, "Leo!"

Hearing his name called, Leo looked up, and seeing Leslie, signaled another whitelighter to take his place, as he jogged over to the sisters. "What's up?"

"It's time to get you home," Leslie held up a potion in his hand. "Here's the potion – let's find somewhere to go, and we can send you back."

"Wait! What about Chris?" Piper questioned. "When is he coming back? He's been gone for hours – I need to say goodbye to him."

Not wanting to disappoint Piper, but knowing she would press for an explanation, Leslie explained, gently, "He – I don't think – Darryl thinks he kind of needs to be alone right now."

"I'm not leaving without seeing him," Piper's eyes flashed. _Leave without seeing my son? Over my dead body, _Piper thought. "I want to see him, Les. Now."

As Leslie racked his brain for a worthy counterargument, Leo shook his head. "No, Les. Piper is right. We need to see Chris before we go. And he needs to see us."

Leslie saw the determination in Piper's face, and sighing, he gave in. "Okay."

"So where did he go?" Paige asked.

"He didn't say, but I've got a pretty good idea. You and Leo are going to need to orb us there."

* * *

They materialized in the clearing where they had first arrived in the future.

In the ruins of what was left of the Manor.

Spotting her son, Piper began to move forward with Leo, as her sisters and Leslie hung back, to give them what little privacy they could.

He was crouched over a small mound of earth, kneeling in the freshly dug earth. Excalibur lay on the ground a few feet away, where it had obviously been carelessly discarded. On either side of him, other mounds of dirt surrounded him.

Graves.

From the grass freely growing around and on them, it was obvious that they had been there for some time. Keeping her eyes firmly away from the tombstones that marked each one, Piper picked her way among the rocks, to stop a few feet away from her son.

"Chris," Piper called softly, hesitantly.

He raised his head slowly, peering through blurred, burning eyes, to see his parents standing in front of him. Grief and pain blazed from his eyes, meeting their worried ones. His face was dirt stained; there were blotches where he had wiped his face with his sleeve and his cheeks were streaked with faded tears. His arm, where Excalibur had cut deep, wore a dirty, bloodied, makeshift bandage.

"What happened to your hands?" Piper whispered, aghast at the state of Chris' hands, as she moved to kneel next to him. Gently she picked up his hands in hers, holding them carefully as she studied them.

Chris shrugged, his voice hoarse, his throat still raw from grief, "I didn't have a shovel." His hands were raw and bleeding from clawing at the dirt with his bare hands.

"Let Leo heal them for you. It must be painful," Piper murmured, as she turned his hands this way and that, studying them.

Jerking his hands away from his mother like she had burned them, he responded dully, "It doesn't matter."

"Chris –," Leo started.

"Why are you here? I thought I told you to go back already," Chris brutally cut his father's words off.

"We're here because we were worried about you," Piper gently touched her son's shoulder, wincing, as he cringed at her touch. "We just thought –"

"What? What did you think, mom?!? That everything would be okay? Wy's _dead_." Chris practically shouted at his mother. His voice dropped to a whisper, "And I killed him."

"Son, we know you're hurting –," Leo tried.

"No. No, you don't. To you, Wyatt's still a little toddler. You can't understand how I feel. You didn't grow up with him, didn't _know_ him, like I did." Chris dismissed his father's attempt to comfort him. What did either of them know? They were going back to their time, where everything and everyone was okay. How could either of them even begin to understand the intense pain that he felt deep in his heart?

"Maybe Leo doesn't know what you're feeling, but I do," Piper caught Chris' chin firmly in her hand, forcing him to look into her eyes. "I lost Prue."

"You lost your sister to evil. You didn't _kill_ him," Chris said, bitterly.

"You lost your brother to evil too, Chris. You need to understand that. That man, today – he wasn't really your brother. Not anymore," Piper tried to comfort her son. She set aside her own grief and guilt, concentrating on helping her son _right now_.

"It's just – it hurts so much, Mom. I didn't know it could _hurt_ somuch." His voice was low, hoarse, "I feel like...I think I lost more than my brother today. It's – I think I had a piece of myself torn away."

"Oh baby," Piper embraced Chris carefully, and kissed his forehead. Her eyes were filled with tears as she looked over his shoulder at Leo, who's own eyes were wet with unshed tears.

"He wasn't always this way, you know," Chris reflected, softly, his head resting on his mother's shoulder. "There were good times, too. When we were younger, we'd play orb and seek...he always let me win. He was – he was a good brother...once."

Piper hugged him tightly. "Remember those moments, and not the end. That man...Excalibur had warped him so much, he wasn't the Wyatt you knew anymore. Choose to remember the good times, and let go of the others."

"It's not that simple, mom," Chris' voice was agonized, tortured.

"It _is_ that simple, son," Leo knelt next to his family, enfolding them in his embrace. Piper's heart ached for her son; he had had more heartbreak than anyone should ever have in one lifetime.

The family huddled in silence, drawing comfort from each other.

Clearing his throat, Leslie cursed himself for interrupting, but knowing he had no choice, "Piper, Leo. We really need to get you back to your time, okay?"

Drawing back, Piper reached up to softly brush her son's hair out of his eyes. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'm so f---ing happy, I could cry, okay?" Chris snapped. Instantly regretting his tone, as his mother recoiled in alarm, he sighed, wearily, "Look, I'm sorry. I...Just – just go. Make sure I never have to kill my brother. Ever."

Piper touched his cheek in a gesture of affection, wanting so much to take her son with her, back to their time. She didn't want to lose him, this version of her son, whom she had come to love so much. _It wasn't fair_, Piper thought resentfully. Even though she _knew_ it was better this way. Chris had sacrificed so much, for so long, and yet – if they changed the future, his future, and achieved the ultimate reward for his efforts – he'd never know. And while in her heart she knew it was, in the end, better for him, her heart still selfishly pined for this version of her son, whom she would never get to know.

As if reading her thoughts, Chris caught her hand and held it, smiling wistfully into her eyes, "It's better this way, Mom."

"And Mom?"

"Yes, Chris?"

"I never want to see that damn sword ever again," Chris' tone was soft, low and full of resentment. "Get rid of it. I never want to see it. Ever."

"Chris...you can't run away from your destiny," Piper chided her son, gently.

"That's bullsh-t. Mom – that _thing_ caused Wyatt to turn evil. It helped him destroy the city, the future. Believe me when I say we're all better off without the cursed thing," Chris jerked away from his mother's touch. "If you want to save the future, save me, _save_ Wyatt – you'll get rid of that thing as soon as you get back."

Taken aback by her son's vehemence, Piper hastily reassured him, not wanting their parting words to each other to deteriorate into a fight, "All right. If it will make you feel better."

"It will."

Knowing that there was nothing more that either of them could do, Leo nodded. "Just remember, we love you son. We won't let you down. I promise."

Piper pulled Chris' head towards her, planting a soft kiss on his forehead. "We love you so much. I'll change this. I promise you that."

"I know you will, Mom. I'm counting on it," Chris nodded, his eyes closed.

Taking Leo's hand in hers, Piper slowly backed away from her son, "Will you see us off?"

For just a moment, he hesitated and then, Chris shook his head slowly, "I don't think so."

"All right," Piper nodded sadly. "Chris –,"

"Just – just go, Mom."

Nodding, she slowly turned away from her son, following Leslie, Phoebe and Paige away from the gravesite.

Watching his family disappear around one of the towering piles of rocks that was all that was left of the Manor, Chris looked back at the mound of dirt in front of him. Using his telekinesis, Chris dragged a nearby rock, using it as a marker. Picking up Excalibur, he began to etch his final words to his brother into the stone.

_Here lies Wyatt Halliwell._

_Cherished son._

_Beloved brother._

Flinging the sword down, Chris stood back to stare at the words. He could almost hear his brother's voice in his ears.

_...I'd never let anything bad happen to you, you know that, right? Because we're brothers. You and me. Against the world..._

Dropping to his knees, he buried his hands in the dirt. His grief was so painful, he was numb. He wanted to grieve, to mourn, to cry...but he had nothing left inside. Getting to his feet, he wiped his hands on his pants and said his final goodbye.

_Rest in peace, Wy._

_It won't happen, Wy. I won't let it happen._

_I promise._

* * *

"You ready?" Leslie nodded at Leo and the sisters. They had milled around the area, where the Manor's front lawn used to be, hoping Chris would make one last appearance to see them off. As the minutes crawled by, Piper knew he wasn't going to come.

It hurt.

Leo gently took Piper's hand, bringing it up to his mouth to press a kiss against her knuckles, "I know."

Blinking her tears away, Phoebe tried to distract herself, and looked at Leslie. "What about you? Are you coming with us?"

Leslie shook his head regretfully, his gaze never wavering from Phoebe's, "With Wyatt gone, I doubt you'll have any problems with time-travelling demons. Besides, I should stay here. There's a lot that has to be done...they need me."

Hearing the intent behind those words, Phoebe nodded, just as solemnly, "Yes – they do."

Piper turned to Leslie, "You'll take care of him? For us? For me? He's going to need a friend."

Leslie nodded. "Not just me. Darryl and I will look out for him. Heck, the entire base will look out for him. Just – change the future, okay? So that we don't have to."

Leo and Piper exchanged glances, "We will."

"You have the potion?" Phoebe asked Leslie, who nodded.

"Yeah, but let's try your spell first – I think a power of three spell would be better," Leslie suggested.

"Well, if you think so," Phoebe said, doubtfully, reaching into her pocket to pull forth a piece of paper. Unfolding it, her sisters and Leo gathered around, and the sisters began to read the spell.

_Take us back from whence we came,  
To time and place that are the same.  
A time for everything, and to everything it's place,  
Return what has been moved, through time and space.  
_

And a swirl of golden orbs began to surround Leo and the sisters...

* * *

He hadn't wanted to come. Not really.

Today had been hard enough – losing his brother, burying him. Elsewhere, people were celebrating, and so they should. They were free from tyranny, after all. But for Chris, it was a day of mixed feelings. Relief, guilt, grief – were just some of the feelings coursing through him. Chris wasn't sure he could stand seeing his family leave him too. Even if he knew it was necessary. No one better than him understood just how important it was for his family to go back to their time and stop all this from happening.

But it didn't mean that it didn't hurt – that it didn't make him selfishly wish he could go with them. Almost.

But something inside him made him want to see them, one last time.

He shrank back into the shadows, watching. From where he was hiding he could see Leslie murmuring to the sisters and Leo.

He watched silently from the shadows, as his parents and her sisters began to chant. Slowly he stepped forward, as he watched the golden lights begin to swirl around his family, to take them back to their own time.

As if she sensed his presence, his mother looked up, her eyes quickly finding his.

The sadness that had never quite left his face was apparent in his gaze.

His eyes held hers, and as she began to disappear, he could see her mouth moving. Mouthing something to him. _I love you, peanut._

As the last lights of the spell faded away, Chris stood staring at the spot where his family had just been.

_I love you too, Mom._

* * *

_I love you._ Piper thought, as the familiar sight of the attic slowly replaced the image of her son.

"We did it! We're back!" Phoebe said, excitedly, rushing over to the window to throw it open. "Breathe in the beautiful air, people!"

Paige joined her sister by the window, content to stare outside silently, giving thanks to the powers that be.

Leo put his arm around Piper, as he watched her wipe away her tears. "Hey, we're going to fix everything, remember? No need for tears."

Paige agreed, her gaze resting on Excalibur, still stuck in the stone, sitting in their attic where Paige had orbed it. "Yeah, I think Leo should orb that thing away somewhere...like wherever you took the genie bottle."

Piper shook her head, "But that would be denying Chris his magical destiny."

Phoebe whipped her head around so quickly, she practically gave herself whiplash, "Excuse me?!? Didn't you just promise Chris that you were going to get rid of it?"

Piper waved her hands dismissively, "Look, he wasn't thinking clearly at the time. The way he grew up, his future, it's all going to be different now. We've changed his timeline. I want my son to embrace his new destiny." Seeing the light of battle in Phoebe's eyes, Piper glared at her sister, "We're going to bury this thing in the attic, end of story. When the boys are older, I'll sit Chris down and explain it all to him."

"Leo?" Phoebe turned to her brother-in-law for help. "Could you please tell your wife that she's crazy?"

Leo shook his head. "I think Piper's right. It would be selfish of us to keep Excalibur away from Chris. Just like it would be wrong of us to bind Wyatt's powers. It's the same argument. Besides," Leo smiled at Piper, reaching out for her hand, to bring it to his lips for a kiss. "Now that we know it's destined for Chris, everything will work out. We've changed the future."

"We've changed fate."

**_A/N: Don't forget to check out the epilogue... _**


	16. Epilogue

**Epilogue **

_"We're living in repetition...going over and over and over..."_

– Green Day

_Sometime in the future... _

"Wy! Wy! Where are you?" Chris called, as the twelve year old scratched his head. "Come on, Wy...I give up...please?"

Wyatt orbed in beside his brother. "Chris, the whole point of orb and seek is for you _to orb_ to me."

Pretending to pout, Chris whined, "Why can't we just do something normal – like play a game of hoops?"

"Because –," Wyatt sighed, "YOU need to improve your control over your powers, and this is one way of doing it. You're the one who refuses to go to Magic School."

"I just want to be normal," Chris sulked.

"Like you could EVER be normal," Wyatt laughed, reaching over and ruffling his little brother's hair. "I respect you wanting a normal life, but I don't understand it. Seriously, Chris – living in this house, with all the demons that keep showing up, I really think you should start coming to Magic School with me. There's only so much that I can teach you...you'd get a lot more from Aunt Paige."

Ducking away from his older brother's hand, Chris shrugged. "You're the twice blessed. If you can't teach me, who can?"

Rolling his eyes at Chris' stubbornness, Wyatt retorted, "Just because I'm twice blessed doesn't mean I know what I'm doing. There's a lot to be said for knowledge and experience, you know."

Wincing at his brother's tone, Chris apologized, "Don't be mad, Wy. It's just...sometimes I _hate_ magic. It takes so much away from us. Dad never has any time for us – he's always doing 'his job.' And mom, aunt Paige and aunt Phoebe are always in danger."

"I bet if you asked them, they'd tell you that making some sacrifices is worth it in the end if they can save innocents." Wyatt nodded, wisely.

Chris sighed – his brother really soaked up all that propaganda. Struggling to express himself, Chris tried again, "Yeah, but look at everything they've given up. They can never live away from each other. What if one day aunt Phoebe wanted to move to Hong Kong? Or Chicago, for that matter?"

Wyatt frowned. "Aunt Phoebe _did_ move to Hong Kong for a bit, remember? Mom told us. She didn't like it."

Chris rolled his eyes. "But what if she wanted to?"

"Why would she want to?"

Exasperated, Chris threw his hands up in the air, "I don't know, Wy! It's just an example!"

"If you don't know, why are you asking?" Wyatt wondered, staring at his brother as if he had suddenly grown a second head.

"What if I want to move away?" Chris shouted.

"You're twelve, Chris. Mom and dad aren't going to let you move out on your own!" Wyatt replied, still puzzled at Chris' questions.

"Oh God – give me strength," Chris muttered, under his breath. He looked up to his older brother, really he did. But Wy just didn't understand him sometimes. "I'm just saying – what if when I grow up I decide I want to go see the world? You know, wander around, explore, discover stuff."

"You could orb to wherever you wanted, and then orb back at night? Sure, why not?" Wyatt raised his eyebrow, "I'm sure Mom and Dad wouldn't mind."

"Forget it," Chris rolled his eyes again. Sometimes his brother was so thick, it was unbelievable. "Let's just continue the game."

Tactfully ignoring Chris' fit of pique, Wyatt lectured his little brother, "This time, really try to _sense_ me...and then you should be able to find and orb to me, okay?"

Raising his eyes heavenward, Chris prayed for patience. "I _know_ what I'm suppose to do, Wy. Just go, would you?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Wyatt dematerialized.

Chris closed his eyes. And concentrated – _there_...

And he materialized back into the attic of the Manor.

Chris cursed, as he materialized on top of a shelf, crashing to the ground, landing on top of a bunch of boxes with a thud. "Ouch! God damn piece of–"

"Better not let Mom hear you say that word," Wyatt shot a glance at his brother from beneath his lashes. "At least you found me. Now we just need to work on controlling your orbing in."

Sticking his tongue out at his brother childishly, Chris tried to roll gingerly to his feet, dislodging boxes left and right as he flailed about.

Rolling his eyes at his younger brother's antics, Wyatt reached down and grabbed his brother's arm to help him up, automatically pushing the boxes back with his telekinesis.

"What the – ?!?"

Hidden behind the boxes was a giant boulder, with what appeared to be a sword stuck in it.

"Is that what I think it is?" Chris asked, whispering, as he and his brother tiptoed closer to get a better look at it.

"It's the sword in the stone!" Wyatt exclaimed, excitedly. "We're studying it at Magic School, right now!" Cautiously, Wyatt reached his hand out to touch it.

"I don't know, Wy," Chris said, doubtfully. "I don't think we should touch it."

For a moment, both boys stood staring, in silence, at the sword in the stone. Shivering, Chris turned away, nervous and just a little afraid. He couldn't explain it, but the magical artifact gave him bad vibes.

Looking back at his brother, Wyatt let his hand drop back to his side. "What do you think it's doing here? How come Mom hasn't said anything about it?"

Chris shrugged. "I don't know. And I don't care. Let's just leave it. I'm sure Mom will tell us about it when she wants us to know about it." He trotted over to the door, yanking it open, getting ready to head back downstairs. Looking back over his shoulder at his brother, he saw that Wyatt's gaze was still transfixed by the sword, "Coming, Wy?"

"What?" Wyatt said, absently. He felt like he was waking from a dream. Sunlight streaming through the attic windows seemed to make the steel of the sword almost glow. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. "Yeah, sure."

Reluctantly, he turned away, following his younger brother out of the attic. Pausing at the door of the attic, Wyatt glanced over his shoulder one last time at the sword.

_So beautiful._

Maybe he would come back later to study it.

And then he followed his brother down the stairs.

_The End._

* * *

**Author's musings**

Just in case anyone's interested...this is how I came up with the idea for the plotline.

Ever since I saw Sword and the City, (as a repeat...I didn't start watching the season until after Chris-crossed – I had lost interest back in season 3, and then only caught it once and awhile when flipping. Then, suddenly, I saw some of the episodes with the Chris character and I was hooked again.) I always wondered, where was Chris in this episode? Was it just coincidence – the sword can 'turn' someone evil (e.g. Piper was able to pull the sword out and use it, even though it wasn't meant for her to wield), Wyatt using it the first time _before_ Chris was born (e.g. adult Chris' allusion to the deadline of Wyatt's turning), adult Chris not in the episode? My guess was it was unintentional on the part of the writers – but it bothered me so much I had to write this story.

_Will I write another story? _

When I first envisioned this story, I had jotted some notes down, which soon progressed to a one-page summary. I never thought it would end up being so many chapters, let alone so many words. For those of you who may wonder whether I will write another story – that will depend on whether I get hit by a creative spurt again. I think I'd like to eventually write a sequel (any suggestions?) to this story that would be more character driven than plot driven, but who knows? I promise only to write a story if I think I can do it justice, and if I think people will read it.

For now, I'd like to catch up on all the other great fan fics that I haven't had a chance to read, let alone review, while I was working on this story.

Here's hoping episode 7.07 lives up to everyone's (and my) expectations.

Cheers!


End file.
